My Blue Moon
by WildRecklessYouthInMe
Summary: After the death of her parents, Chrys Qynn was raised by the Hales, that is up until the fire which Derek blamed her for. She fled after that and had no contact with the Hale's since. But, 6 years later, she's summoned by Peter to come back because Derek needs her help and she needs an Alpha. Desperate to return home and make amends, she goes, but trouble from her past follows...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Third Person POV

 _-13 years ago-_

Towering trees with bare spindly branches that reached for the starry sky above blurred by in Chrysanthemum's peripheral vision, sight that was being impaired by the unrelenting tears brimming in her eyes that had yet to spill over. Dead leaves crunched beneath her swiftly moving feet as she sprinted ahead of her parents who moved silently and less clumsily than herself. They weren't too far behind; in fact, she was certain they were purposely slowing their pace to stay with her which only spurred her to drive her exhausted body harder in order to go faster. She didn't want to be the reason they got caught tonight.

"Hurry, Chryssy!" her mom's urgent raspy voice shouted on her left. "We're almost there, and once we get there they can't touch us and we'll be safe." The young girl cast a fleeting glance at her mother in hopes of seeing a reassuring expression. It was difficult for her to see the woman in the near nonexistent light of the night, but one thing she could see clearly were her cobalt tinted wolf eyes that glowed the same hue as her father's.

Her dad, who was to her right, growled abruptly and snapped, "Stop scaring her, Carina. You know they won't touch her!" The bitter truth in Smith's statement made his daughter gulp. It's true, they weren't supposed to hurt her according to their code, but what if they broke it this time? And, even if they didn't, she couldn't become an orphan. How would she survive on her own? Simple: she wouldn't...

Chrysanthemum tried to block out the thundering sounds that the people chasing them were making from her mind so she could focus on fleeing. Particularly she was attempting to ignore how the footsteps were gaining on them, and she was also trying to forget about her profusely bleeding arm that she had tightly cradled to her chest which was heaving with labored breaths. Panting, she pressed on, sprinting blindly through the forest and desperately wishing she had the same nightvision as her parents.

She was doing astonishingly well dodging trees and leaping over rocks considering her lack of powers, but her luck soon ran out. A boulder protruding from the ground sent her sailing through the air and she landed with an extremely painful thud that knocked the wind out of her. The real damage was in her cracking right shoulder which took the brunt force of the unfortunate tumble.

"Chryssy!" Smith bellowed. She could no longer stop the tears from streaming down her face and fear seized her as she laid writhing in the dirt unable to catch her breath. Both Carina and Smith hurried over to assist their child, Carina standing over her tiny body while Smith kneeled preparing to carefully scoop her up in his embrace.

Grabbing his shoulder to stop him, Carina brought his attention to her by hissing in a hurried but hushed whisper, "What're you doing? You said it yourself, they won't hurt her, but they'll hurt us. They will _kill_ us." To muffle her wailing, Smith gently covered Chrysanthemum's mouth with his hand as he listened intently to his mate. "She's slowing us down! She'll get to the house and we'll come back for her when it's safe. You know it's the smart thing to do," she strived to appeal to his rationality.

Sighing, Smith hefted up the frail body of his daughter and stood by Carina. "You're crazy, we can't leave her! The Hunters will use her to get to us and you know it. This is the nerves talking, not you because the you I love wouldn't even entertain the idea of leaving our daughter. We're going to make it out of this, we just have to keep moving," he countered thoughtfully, bringing his wife back down to her usual calm.

"Chryssy," he began, lowering his voice, "it'll be okay. You're gonna be fine, I swear." She clutched his shirt, whimpering as he wrapped a hand around her arm and shifted her in his grip. Immediately, the agonizing pangs wracking her entire body ebbed away as he absorbed them with a discomforted grunt and she took a sigh of relief while they picked up their pace again, but they weren't going quite as quick as before which made her distress rear it's head.

After a few more minutes passed, the yells of the group of Hunters were alarmingly near. "How much further?!" Carina demanded to know through gritted teeth.

"We just have to get through the clearing and up the hill and then we're free," he confidently informed her slowing his gait marginally as they neared the opening of the clearing. "How're you doing sweetie?" he inquired, gazing down adoringly at his one and only child.

She peered back up at him, her chin trembling and her face streaked with stains from all the tears she had shed. "I'm afraid," she admitted in the smallest voice so her mom wouldn't hear her and start lecturing her about weakness. All Smith did in response was affectionately squeeze her tighter to his solid chest.

They stopped at the entrance of the clearing and Carina exchanged a meaningful look with her husband. Nodding at each other, she watched as he pressed a lingering kiss to their Chryssy's forehead before handing her off to Carina. Chrysanthemum was about to say something in protest, but both of her parents shushed her. What she didn't understand was that this was the most dangerous part of their trek through the woods.

The clearing was less than a quarter mile long, but it was potentially treacherous. There could be traps, Hunters lying in wait, and, even if there weren't, the Hunters could catch up and there wouldn't be anywhere to hide. Smith crept forward with intentions to check it out and make sure the passage wouldn't get them killed, but Carina knew they didn't have time to waste. She figured letting him scout ahead wasn't going to help anyone in her panicked mind, so she rapidly darted around him and shot forward, no longer holding herself back.

Chrysanthemum could hear the pounding strides of her father right behind them along with his cursing and realized that she was holding her breath; she also couldn't help but notice how quickly her heart was beating against her bruised ribcage. Her inner monologue was chanting, ' _Almost there, almost there, almost there,'_ and, " _Please let us make it_ '.

All three were almost through to the other side when a high pitched signal echoed throughout the clearing. It caused Smith and Carina to halt instantly in their tracks, both of them getting a tormented look on their faces. Chrysanthemum's features contorted in befuddlement because the sound was simply a distant annoying ringing to her because she had yet to develop her heightened werewolf senses. She couldn't understand what was happening to her parents.

No longer able to stand, Carina fell to her knees and her shaky arms dropped her daughter to the ground, the impact making her cringe. Smith followed not long after Carina, both of them clutching their heads between their hands and screaming through their suffering, a terrifying noise. However, it wasn't as frightening as the deafening sound of a single gunshot that whizzed by in their direction and hit a tree only a few feet away.

Whipping her head around as best as she could to locate the source, Chryssy squinted back in the direction they had just came to find a group of six Hunters all dressed head to toe in an ominous black. They were spearheaded by an older man and walking over at a leisurely pace through the eerie fog that was to rolling in.

Sprawled out on her stomach, she made a pass at wiggling closer to her mother which was extremely difficult considering how damaged one of her arms was. She tried to get Carina's attention by calling her name, but it just registered as dull noise to her mom as she rocked back and forth trying to cope with the excruciating agony thumping in her skull.

"Mom! Mama, we have to go. Please get up! Daddy, they're coming we have to get out of here," she pled in despair with a hoarse voice. As the Hunters closed in, the piercing signal faded away leaving Smith and Carina dazed and groggy though they were more coherent. However, they were inexplicably weakened. Smith's blurry vision was clearing to reveal his daughter frantically trying to rouse him and Carina from their incapacitated state.

Trying to get to his feet so he could defend his family, Smith rolled to his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows while getting up onto his knees, not paying heed to the anguish he was in due to whatever the Hunters had done to them. Carina was just able to lift her head and twitch her hands. "Chryssy?" he groaned, his gut wrenching because of what he knew he had to say next. "Run," he whispered, still working towards drawing himself up to a dignified stand.

Chryssy's face fell as she was about to scramble over to him and argue, but her mother caught her hand and peered up at her with a sweet smile. She gave a slight shake of her head and slipped off her wedding ring, pressing it into her child's palm. That was the sign, the sign she had always dreaded receiving. That meant it was over…

"We love you, Chrysanthemum. We both love you so much and that's why you have to go. Get to the house safe and as fast as you can. Don't watch what happens to us, promise me?" she requested in a quivering and uncharacteristically gentle voice, the voice of a woman who knew she was going to die and didn't want her daughter to see her gruesome fate. Carina didn't want her child's last memories of her to be tainted.

Feeling numb, all Chryssy could do in response was nod as she stood on trembling legs clenching the ring in her tiny fist. She stumbled backwards, unable to tear her watering eyes from her parents. Only when the Hunters got disturbingly imminent did she turn her back and muster the energy she had left to sprint away from the scene.

Seeing as how close they had been to being through the clearing, it didn't take long for her to dive back into the woods and get herself hidden from view. She remotely heard the harsh voice of a young woman vindictively shouting, "The little girl got away!" Her chest contracted in trepidation as she gulped heavily and ducked behind some nearby bushes. They wouldn't come after her would they?

"It doesn't matter, Kate. She's no threat to us, she's just a child," someone with a gruff tone retorted. Chrysanthemum's chin wobbled as she gathered her courage and got into a position where she could peek through the brush so she could see what was going on. She determined that the oldest man was the one who responded to the girl who was the only female with the group.

The six of them were circling around her parents with various weapons drawn. The girl in question wielded a lethally modified taser that dangled off of the wrist of one of her crossed arms. "Gerard, children grow up. She may not be a problem now, but that doesn't mean she won't be in the future. Why not just take care of-" The leader, Gerard it would seem his name was, held up a hand to stop Kate's quarreling. Though she seemed displeased, she followed the silent command and slumped in defeat as she tossed her wavy mane of dirty blonde hair over her shoulder, widening her stance to up her intimidation factor.

Four other imposing men surrounded Carina and Smith in stony silence, two with guns and the other two with crossbows, all trained on the pair of werewolves. Gerard was the only one without a weapon which Chryssy found odd considering he was the one leading the Hunt.

Her parents huddled closer together for protection, still crouched on the ground and glaring up at the Hunters with disgust. At this point their claws and fangs had come out and they were snarling as the band around them grew tighter, herding them together as if they were compliant sheep instead of ferocious wolves.

Chrysanthemum pressed a hand over her lips to quiet her uneven wheezing as she continued to watch, defying her mother's final wish. Her mind raced, trying to come up with some way to save them. Usually she was able to come up with plans in no time at all, but now she was coming up blank. This was different; there was too much on the line, too much pressure for her eight year old self to handle, and too much for her to fathom losing…

"You'll have to excuse my daughter. It's her first Hunt and she's rather eager, but don't worry about your girl. She's not the one we want. Not tonight anyways," he vaguely threatened with a mirthless chuckle. Rubbing his gloved hands together, Gerard smirked maliciously down at the two werewolves he had been seeking out for almost two years. "Smith and Carina Qynn...you are a tough couple to track down, you know that? No Pack, always moving from town to town, and never leaving much of a trace in your wake other than destruction," he began with an almost bemused tone.

He paused to remove his cap, passing it to one of his henchmen, and cracked his neck stoically. Carina, who was still unable to move much, had her plump lips pulled back in a menacing continuous growl while Smith was still working on getting to his feet. Gerard bent, putting his hands on his knees for support, and inspected the creatures with disgusted fascination.

He persisted with his speech, however his words were now murmured lowly through clenched teeth and drenched in venom. "Bet you didn't think that we would catch up to you, did you? Bet you never thought you'd ever have to answer for those three Hunters you killed on the night of that full moon, did you?" Instead of answering, Smith cast his glance away in shame and Carina defiantly dug her claws into the dirt. Tutting, Gerard drew back up to his full height and held out a hand to another henchmen who presented him with a sheathed broadsword.

Chrysanthemum bit down on her tongue to keep from screeching at all of them to stop because she knew what was coming. This is what always happened to Omegas eventually, it was their sealed fate. A lightheaded feeling washed over her accompanied by queasiness and she started to sweat through her torn clothes that were stained with blood and mud. Everything was going so wrong so fast and there was nothing she could do to change it. All she could do was pray for a goddamn miracle to spare her parents.

"Kate, the wolfsbane," Gerard commanded plainly, stepping back to unsheath his sword. She gave him a twisted grin and pulled out two syringes that were filled to the hilt with a familiar toxic purple liquid, a wicked gleam lighting her cruel azure eyes. When she snapped her fingers, the four men around her calculatingly restrained Carina and Smith, two on each of them.

Smith didn't really put up a fight, he didn't have much left in him and had accepted what was to happen. Carina on the other hand shouted to the heavens and lashed out with her feet and claws to the best of her ability while gnashing her sharpened canines at them, but it wasn't enough. They were both pinned down and had needles plunged into their necks within minutes. After that, they became still and docile, the concentrated plant putting them into a fugue like state.

From there, the men that had been restricting them hoisted them up as Kate fiddled with some ropes, securing them around a thick tree at the edge of the clearing with a disturbing grin. Their limp bodies were tied up at the wrists and raised off the ground where they'd been dumped so that they were dangling in the air awaiting their end.

Gerard approached them and everyone shuffled back out of his way. The pure silver of his sword glinted in the light of the crescent moon as he swung it back with steady hands wrapped around its grip. " _Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent_ ," were his final words before slicing through Smith and Carina in one smooth swift motion, hacking them clean in half.

Chryssy sat in a stunned silence, digging her nails into her palms and staving off yet another wave of tears. She felt like it was her that had been eviscerated as she watched the lower parts of their bodies fall to the ground followed by a river of blood and other bits unidentifiable to the untrained eye. Their upper halves were cut down shortly after and the four henchmen began the cleanup process while Gerard strode away unfazed by the horror he'd just committed with a smug Kate right on his heels.

Sitting back on her haunches, the young girl let her head drop to her hands as she attempted to process what had just happened. It didn't seem real to her, no it couldn't have been. She was convinced that this was some terrible nightmare and she'd wake up in her parents bed. The hollowness she was encountering right now would vanish when she awoke in their arms and they would go about their strange lives like any other day. Distantly she knew this wasn't the case. She knew she was alone now.

Chrysanthemum felt rage like she had never before experienced swell up inside of her. She was furious at the Hunters for obvious reasons, at her parents for getting themselves into this, but mostly she was angry with herself for being so helpless. If she couldn't save them how was she supposed to save herself? "The house...I have to get to the house," she told herself on the verge of hysteria, the anger disintegrating as abruptly as it had appeared but still resonating somewhere deep within her.

Even though she was emotionally drained and physically stretched to the limit, she managed to get to her feet and head up the path that would lead her over the hill to her destination. She was no longer even trying to be quiet, what was the point? If the Hunters had really wanted her they would have found her, but no, they let her live. However, that didn't mean she was letting her guard down. Hell, if anything it was built up. To her it was the quiet before the storm.

Finally, Chryssy crawled to the top of the hill and leered up at the grand manor before her. Having no time to stop and revel in its majesty, she rose once more to make one last run towards the front porch of the home. Lights were flickering on in the previously dark house as she reached the door and swayed on her feet. Incapable of supporting herself anymore, she collapsed and an odd peacefulness consumed her because she knew she was safe now.

Chrysanthemum wasn't worried about her injuries, the Hunters, or slipping into unconsciousness as she currently was anymore. None of that mattered because she had made it. She made it to the Hale house...


	2. Chapter 1: Return of the Flower

**Chapter One: Return of the Flower**

Derek's POV

Pacing is what I had been reduced to, but least I had a livable place to pace in now. The remnants of an old abandoned train station were no longer sufficient. Not only was it not enough space for my Pack, but it was owned by the city of Beacon Hills and _technically_ 'condemned'. Shaking my head of raven black hair, I huffed and searched for something else to occupy my mind.

Before I could come up with anything, my uncle Peter stomped down the spiraling iron staircase all too obviously, demanding me to take notice of him. The clanging of his heavy boots against the metal made me grit my teeth in annoyance and fight the urge to roll my eyes while I refused to acknowledge him. You could say there was some lingering animosity between us; actually, it was no secret that I hated him. Hard to believe it wasn't always like that. I found it difficult to picture those days now, the days where he was my best friend and closest confidant. Then again, he wasn't always an evil murderous psychopath that I abhorred sharing a name with.

Ceasing my meandering of the open loft space, I paused in front of the dingy window wall, taking care to face away from him, and crossed my muscular arms disapprovingly over my broad chest. Every time he walked into the room I could feel myself tense, but I tried not to let it show. I didn't want the bastard to know he had any effect on me whatsoever.

Unfortunately, Peter was one of the only surviving members of my family. He survived the fire though it nearly destroyed him. Well, it did obliterate his humanity. Then there was my little sister, Cora, who was God knows where right now. Laura, the eldest of my siblings, was also unscathed by the fire. However, she didn't live through Peter ripping her in half in order to become an Alpha, something I vengefully took away when I killed him. Obviously being nearly burned to death (again) coupled with me shredding his neck to oblivion didn't take, so I was stuck with him again.

Peter cleared his throat, attempting to call my attentions to him. I continued to stare out blankly over the unimpressive skyline of the small town of Beacon Hills through blazing green eyes. "Oh come on, Derek. Are you going to be mad at me forever?" he inquired, no doubt with a smug smirk curving at his thin pink lips.

"It's a start," I retorted venomously with clenched teeth. I could practically see his icy blue orbs rolling in exasperation at my petulant behavior. Not that I cared because I had earned petulant after all that he'd done. Especially after calling _her_ of all people.

I hadn't seen her for years, and I thought there would be no chance of me ever having to see her again. Truthfully, I was astonished to learn that she was still alive in the first place. Apparently she managed to survive all this time without a Pack as an Omega. However, that raised the question of why, after all this time, would she want to come back? There was no longer something here for her because I certainly had nothing to offer her after everything she'd done to my family. Just because Laura never blamed her for anything doesn't mean that I didn't.

Peter shuffled his feet with a low grumble. "This whole silent treatment thing? Getting. Old," he enunciated for emphasis.

I couldn't resist but to quip, "You'd know all about things getting old, wouldn't you?" It was a cheap shot, but I was feeling particularly petty. He tended to bring it out in me.

He didn't pay heed to the comment, but instead cracked his neck with a tight lipped grin. "You're a Hale. Get over it," he returned in his gravelly voice. I absently scratched at the scruff gracing my chiseled features and sighed through my nose. "I don't know why you're so worked up about this anyways. You're just being ridiculous. Besides, I like her," he mused wickedly, quickly switching the subject.

Scoffing, I replied with extreme levels of rare dry sarcasm. "Oh, well why didn't you say so earlier? That makes me feel so much better. Because, we both know that _you're_ approval is always the most important thing to me."

Peter's teeth ground together as he snorted weakly at my words. He was getting exhausted with the argument already because he knew I was winning it. The conversation wasn't a game to win for me like it was for him, though. I was behaving hostilely out of pure spite. In my eyes, there was no longer redemption for him, but I had to put up with him. He's my family by blood, and I couldn't change that no matter how much of a hopeless savage he was.

"There's no use fighting it now. She's almost here. So why don't you stop griping, put on your big, bad Alpha pants, and suck it the hell up," he seethed. My fists clenched as they often did, twitching at the thought of how incredible it would feel to just start hitting him until that stupid fucking mouth off his quit talking incessantly forever. I dismissed the violent impulse with an animal rumble vibrating in my chest.

My full lower lip frowned and my thick brows furrowed deeply. "I don't like her," I announced bitterly for about the twelfth time that day (as if it would solve anything). "Why does it have to be her?" I asked him rhetorically in a hushed voice, allowing my orbs to flutter shut for just a second in the blissful silence that followed.

Finally, I swivelled on the heels of my biker boots and gazed towards Peter. He was lounging languidly against the deep teal armrest of the velour fabricated couch. His almond shaped eyes were narrowed, as they often were, in their inquisitive and undeniably mysterious way that made the corners of his sockets crinkle. One of the few traits that revealed his age were the fine wrinkles scattered about his face. They were nearly undetectable until he did a certain expression that caused them to become more prominent. If it weren't for that no one would guess that the sleekly dressed man was in his late thirties.

"Because, Derek, you need help here." I sneered openly at the statement. He held up his hands in mock surrender before going on. "Delude yourself all you want, but you can't take care of all of this by yourself. You're trying to build a Pack here, right? What, you're going accomplish that with a bunch of freshly bitten out of control teenagers while Hunter's and whatever else is on your ass?" he inquired pointedly. He took every opportunity he could to jab at how weak my Pack was just because they were young. "She's an experienced werewolf looking for an Alpha," he went on ranting, trying, and failing, to appeal to my rationality. "We both know Laura would've wanted this..." My insides coiled at that and I bristled at the mention of her name, especially coming from his lips.

"I still don't like her," I went on with grouchiness, unrelenting in my efforts to keep her as far away from me as humanly, or in our case, inhumanly possible.

"Come on, it's been years. Besides, nothing is decided. It's not permanent. Can't you suffer through one, just one, little visit?" Why was he trying so hard to vouch for her knowing good and well I was stubborn and wouldn't be changing my mind? He shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark blue denim jeans, the movement leading to his muscles bulging more than they already were in his tight white tee shirt with that damn plunging V-neck.

"Do you think you could suffer through the torture of not inflicting pain in any way shape or form for one, just one, day asshole?" My malevolent tone was tipped with poison, rage shining in my eyes. The remark made his smirk stretch into a smile that showed off his perfect rows of pearly teeth.

He lazily peeled himself away from the couch and out of the shadows; he began to lazily saunter over to me with his hands now clasped together behind his back. Sunlight streamed in through the window, glinting off of his dark brown strands that were slicked back with gel. His lips twisted in a teasing grimace, giving his villainous goatee an odd shape. Peter clucked his tongue, cocking his head to the side simultaneously. During his entire maneuver, I had remained still with a revolted expression morphing my face. Not that it fazed him; he didn't expect me to hide my disdain for him.

"Are we still milking all that business?" he pondered a little too playfully. Everything always had to be a goddamn joke with him. Usually, he did it for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of me. As much as it disappointed me to admit, it worked often. Like right now. Right now it was working pretty fucking fantastically.

Rushing forward, I balled up the fabric of his shirt in my hands and threw him back into one of the nearby solid cement supporting beams. His heavy body hit it with a thud, but he barely winced at the impact. Growling, I got inches from his face and flashed my intimidating crimson eyes at him. "If you're referring to you killing my sister in order to become a monster, then slaughtering all of those people for some revenge plot while in the process hurting an innocent girl, and later using that girl to bring you back to life with my unwilling help which somehow ended up with her becoming a fucking Banshee, then yes. We're still milking that," I spat with undisguised contempt in a thundering yell.

Peter seemed completely unmoved by the outburst. "How is Lydia, by the way?" he wondered with a familiar glimmer in his eyes. I breathed laboriously through my flaring nostrils and my chest heaved as I tried to calm myself. His response only served to frustrate me further. I curled my hand into a fist with intentions to hit him, but instead jammed it into the beam. Chunks of concrete crumbled due to my strength and clattered to the floor, but I successfully restrained myself from hitting Peter. Fighting with him wouldn't solve anything.

We didn't have the chance to continue our brawl anyways because a knock on the door directed our attentions elsewhere. Without so much as a word, I stalked forward with sweeping strides and unlocked the heavy door, using both of my arms to yank it open to reveal who we'd been expecting, but she certainly didn't look like who I was expecting. I couldn't stop myself from letting my eyes scan over her.

Her silky, fawn hued, naturally wavy locks flowed down past her shoulders just barely covering her chest. Through the loose cropped maroon halter top and torn light blue shorts she had donned I could see that the thin layer of fat that used to cover her had been shed completely leaving her slender body fit. Most of her height was in her lengthy legs, making her appear taller, though she was really only of slightly above average height. Her fair, creamy skin was clear now save for a beauty mark on her right cheek. I remembered that mark. She always hated it no matter how many times people told her how adorable it is. Her supple glossed lips were pulled into a forced smile that touched her captivating sapphire eyes with a glittering gleam. Her high cheekbones gave her feminine features a fierceness despite the subtle blush persistently coloring them, a blush that seemed intensified at the moment.

"Chrysanthemum," I greeted breathlessly, attempting not to let my shock register as I stared her down. Hopefully I'd achieved that goal.

She stared right back at me with her mouth now hanging slightly open, dropping her bags by her predictably bare feet. "Please, Chrysanthemum? You know no one calls me that anymore. It's Chrys, but never Chryssy. Just in case you forgot that too," she informed me, deftly tossing her hair over her shoulder. Her elegantly long fingers settled around her bony hip and that tarnished silver ring she had always worn caught my eyes. I recognized as her mother's wedding ring. When she was younger, she had to wear it on a necklace because it was much too big for her at the time.

"Well, I for one missed our little flower," Peter retorted cheekily, reviving her old nickname and stepping forward to move his body halfway in front of mine.

Chrys's demeanor completely shifted. Her relaxed stance became rigid as she crossed her thin arms. "I'm sorry, Derek, would you mind clarifying to this gentleman what my name is? I think his age has caused an impairment to his hearing," she sharply replied with a slitted gaze that penetrated Peter's effortlessly. I found myself stifling a chuckle at the jab whereas Peter just seemed dumbfounded. "It's Chrys or nothing dick," she informed him with a disarming fake beam that displayed her slight dimples.

Genuinely confused, Peter asked, "What happened to the sweet girl that I used to give piggyback rides to?"

"What happened to the man I knew that didn't kill his own family?" Her non hesitant retort stunned him into silence that I appreciated greatly. Chrys gracefully traipsed away from the front door, her light footsteps not making a sound against the floor. Soon, she was mere inches from Peter and there was something unsettling about her tranquility.

"Listen up, and listen good, because I will not be repeating myself: throughout the duration of my stay here I want my contact with you to be as minimal as possible. I think that would be the best thing for both of us. Capeesh?" she propositioned. He nodded deftly in response, unsure of how else to answer. She cleared her throat, jutting out a hip and narrowing her eyes in confusion. "Then, uh, why are you still here?" she wondered sassily while waving her hand to shoo him away.

Befuddlement swept over his features, a reaction caused by his brief yet intense interaction with Chrys. Nonetheless, he sulked off defeatedly, murmuring unintelligible noises beneath his breath. More than likely they were meant to be curses directed at her. This time I had to chortle. For a small girl, she sure knew how to handle herself.

Chrys watched his back retreat until he disappeared and then turned to me with a manicured brow quirked. "I never thought I'd feel bad for you big boy, but having to put up with him all the time? I don't know how you do it…" I bit the inside of my cheek to refrain from snapping at her about _my_ old nickname. She had been calling 'big boy' ever since I'd known her. First it was because I was a chubby kid, then my because of my growth spurt, and then I grew more muscular.

"Ground rule #1: if I have to call you Chrys, then you have to call me Derek," I asserted sternly, crossing my arms with raised brows, daring her to meet my challenge.

Her mouth gaped open, the gloss on her lips shining in the light. "Oh really now _big boy_? And are you gonna make me?" she pondered with disbelief in a joking manner.

Tilting my head to the side I blinked and, when I re-opened my eyes, they were the glowing scarlet that signified me as an Alpha. She reacted instantaneously, slumping from her straightened position and avoiding eye contact. "Maybe I will, _little flower_ ," I teased back without missing a beat. Chrys shuffled awkwardly, taking notice of the power shift. "Don't forget who's in charge around here now. We aren't kids anymore," I mumbled and she nodded slightly in answer.

When she spoke up again, her voice was softer. "I'm sorry about Laura. I wish I could've..." she trailed off uncertainly.

An all too familiar sadness crashed over me, consuming me when she mentioned her. That's when it all came rushing back to me. Everything Chrys had done, everything that had happened to my family and I because of her. My mouth set in a hard line as she shyly peeked up at me with caution to gauge my reaction and let out a shaky breath.

"I'll show you your room," I said coldly, shouldering past her. I heard her scamper back to the door to get her bags and then rush to catch up to me. She followed me up the winding stairs, down the narrow hallway, and all the way to the end on the right was the door to where she would be staying. I opened it, revealing the space to her. "There. Get settled," I instructed detachedly. Resting my hand on her back, I roughly guided her into the room and she stumbled through the doorway.

"What, that's it?" she asked, unsatisfied with my lack of conversation and or reaction about her return to my life.

After slamming the door, I shouted through it, "I'm going to talk to the Pack. You'll meet them tonight," I told her just before stomping away.

Making my way downstairs, I composed a message to Erica. Out of all of them she would be the most likely to have her phone. I read it in my head before tapping send: Isaac, Boyd, Jackson, and you have to come to the loft ASAP. There's no danger, I just need to talk to all of you. Get Scott over here too if you can. -Derek. The response was swift and concise. Erica: We'll be there in twenty. I rubbed my temples as I flopped down on the couch.

She was here. Chrys was actually here. What were we supposed to do now? How was she supposedly supposed to 'help' me control my Pack? She was an Omega yesterday. Literally. Sure, she may have experience, but I taught her almost everything she knows. How much could she really assist me with my new wolves? I guess only time would tell.

* * *

Chrys's POV

Bringing my lips into my mouth, I cast a sweeping glance around my temporary living quarters and I couldn't help but wonder how temporary all of this was. Peter had first called me out of the blue a couple weeks ago. The calls were constant for nearly a week before I finally answered. It still disturbed me that he somehow found out my cell phone number, but it didn't surprise me. When I did finally decide to pick up, he was very vague on all the details of why he refused to leave me alone.

All I knew was Derek was an Alpha now and he needed my help with his Pack, and I wanted to give that to him. The Hale's and I had a long history and I longed more than anything to mend fences with the remains of the family. Since Cora disappeared, Peter went crazy, and Laura was killed, Derek was, in my opinion, the last true Hale in Beacon Hills and, after everything his family did for me, I owed him.

Setting my jaw I thought back to how he reacted when I brought up Laura. I had struggled with the decision of whether or not to name her at all when I was procrastinating at the doorstep. It just kind of came out in the moment and I regretted it immediately. That must still be a restricted topic with him, which I understood. It was for me too...

The orbs I had been peering out of my window with teared up momentarily and I sniffled, carefully wiping my eyes. "No time for tears," I told myself adamantly. I hadn't even been here for fifteen minutes, so I simply refused to shed tears this early on. Even if this town did drudge up a plethora of feelings and memories I would give anything to keep buried. Everything was pretty easy to forget in New York, but I wasn't in New York anymore.

Turning away from the window, I stepped around the black leather seat placed in front of it and stood in the middle of my new room. The space was plain, but it wasn't like I was expecting much.

There was a queen bed centered against the wall with an amethyst tinted comforter thrown over it. Other than the dusty, full size, silver framed mirror hanging crookedly on the wall, there were no other fixtures in the room excluding the lamp on the worn out bedside table. That piddly lamp was the only source of artificial light, but I didn't mind. Natural light was more my speed which was provided by the large window. The only other thing furnishing the room was a large, sable colored wooden chest at the foot of the bed where I assumed I was meant to store my few belongings.

With a quick exhale of preparation, I hefted my two white bags onto the bed and deftly unzipped them both, spreading them open to reveal the contents. One, the larger of the two, had all of my clothes and toiletries. The other duffel had a few personal things: pictures, electronics, and a couple other small keepsakes.

A stuffed wolf Laura had given me caught my eye. My hand gingerly picked up the old thing and I grinned fondly at it. If she saw something with a wolf on it, she'd buy it no matter what and find some outlandish reason to give it to me because we were both fans of irony. She kind of made it a tradition. Even I was shocked to find how many various products came decorated with wolves. There was an entire box of the items in my apartment. I debated on whether or not to bring it since it broke my heart to leave it behind, but I knew it would break my heart as well as Derek's if I brought it here with me. So, behind that logic, I only brought one. The first one she bought me.

The bags didn't have everything I owned because I didn't see the use in packing it all. I had left my other effects in New York with my roommate, Jason Brewer. He was a werewolf I met at the club where I worked at and we had been living together for quite awhile now. In fact, he wanted to come with me on this adventure for whatever reason, but I insisted he stay behind at the apartment. As a safety measure I didn't even tell him exactly where I was going because of how paranoid I was. I didn't want to risk him following me and getting hurt. It had happened to plenty of others that had associated with me in the past, especially when in Beacon Hills.

I honestly couldn't distinguish whether it was me or the town that was cursed.

Growling, I scolded myself. _Stop digging up the bad stuff_! I had to find a way I could be content in this town and not think about my history here in order to focus on what was currently going on in present day life. That was all that mattered now, it was all that was important.

I wrapped my arms around my waist to comfort myself, pulling my forest green cardigan tighter around me and desperately wishing I could go for a walk in the woods. Instead, I curled up in the chair stationed in front of the window to bask in the warm sunlight streaming in which was the next best thing. It was all I could think to do to pass the time until Derek summoned me again to meet his Pack.

I couldn't help but wonder what they would be like…

* * *

 **A/N:** _So here's the first official chapter, I really hope you guys enjoyed it! I know it was a little slow, but Chrys and Derek are now reunited! I'm really excited for you guys to read more. Please follow/favorite/review! It really keeps me motivated and honestly just makes my day. By the way: to see edits, gifs, announcements, etc about the story and more, you can visit my Tumblr wildrecklessyouthinme. Thanks again everyone! Love you!_


	3. Chapter 2: The New Hale Pack

**Chapter Two: The New Hale Pack**

Derek's POV

My foot tapped impatiently as I sat spread out on the couch working my jaw in frustration. _Dammit_ , I thought bitterly to myself, _she said 20 minutes and it's been nearly 30_. Normally, trivial things such as that didn't bother me as much, but I was already on edge due to Chrys's arrival. She was probably settling in at this very moment and for some reason thinking about that made my skin itch uncomfortably all over. It would be strange acclimating to her constant presence again, and I was not looking forward to the adjustment.

I drew my arms in from their outstretched position over the back of the couch and leaned forward to rest my elbows against my bouncing knees to get them to stop. Clasping my hands together, I thudded my forehead against my knuckles and closed my eyes, rubbing my thumbs in gentle circles at my throbbing temples. With a grumble, I brought my face back up and focused my hearing intently, listening for the footsteps of my Pack in anticipation. _Where the fuck were they?_

I was dreading introducing Chrys to everyone, but I had no clue as to why. Was I worried about what she'd think of them? Would she judge my abilities as and Alpha based off of them? Would she believe that they lived up the the Hale Pack standards? All these questions running through my head while I was trying to convince myself that I didn't care about her opinion. I didn't want to, but I couldn't help myself.

Laura's disembodied voice was in the back of my mind almost perpetually and I could hear her pleading me to give Chrys a chance, reminding me of what a good werewolf she was, telling my she would be an asset to the Pack. However, it was hard to overcome my own scornful feelings about her to accept that. _Try_ , my older sister's distant silvery tone begged once more. Shaking my head, I rubbed at my beard and tried to push her voice out of my head; I couldn't deal with it right now.

A raucous sound outside of my door pulled my attention elsewhere and I immediately stood, travelling to the center of the loft with my arms crossed as they often were and my feet planted wide. The sliding door was yanked open to reveal my Pack. All of them. In strode Erica, confidently leading them, followed shortly by Isaac, Jackson, Boyd, and (much to my astonishment) Scott, though he seemed unsure about being among us.

"You're late," I snapped in greeting as they grouped in front of me, tossing their jackets and bags in a pile on the brown leather chair to the side.

Boyd, who's usually the quietest of the bunch, took the liberty of explaining their tardiness. "Sorry, Derek. It took awhile to convince Jackson to miss lacrosse practice and Scott-" Scott cut him off by clearing his throat and giving him a pointed look to which Boyd just shrugged at. I could've pressed further, but it was unimportant. What mattered is that they were all here now.

"What's going on? When I agreed to be a part of your Pack, I didn't know that meant consenting to be summoned like a bitch at your whim or whatever, so this better be good," Jackson piped up roughly, his annoyance clear. Isaac elbowed his side sharply causing him to nearly double over and wince in pain, so I let his disobedience slide deciding the blow was punishment enough. Besides, I grown to expect this behavior from him.

Briefly, I scratched the back of my head, ruffling my strands and trying to figure out a way to delineate the situation to them, something I probably should've been doing while I was waiting around for them. "Here's the deal: you all know I'm new to being an Alpha and I'm doing the best to teach you guys everything you need to know to survive and thrive as werewolves, but we can all admit that I'm not perfect…" I trailed off for a moment as all their gazes found the floor.

They didn't want to acknowledge my weaknesses because it meant acknowledging that they were weaker which is exactly the opposite of what they wanted. The only one maintaining eye contact was Scott. "Anyways, Peter took it upon himself to help-"

"Now we're accepting help from Peter?" Erica boldly interjected with a sneer that quickly turned to a grimace when I pinned her with a burning glare and she realized she had interrupted me. There was an uncomfortable pause where all of them shuffled their feet and tried even harder to avoid my searching gaze.

"As I was saying," I continued authoritatively, "Peter thought I needed someone to aid me in teaching all of you what it means to be a werewolf and how to control yourselves. Since you were all bitten, that means it doesn't come easily to you like it did for me because I was born this way, so he brought someone here to join the Pack for the time being, but this isn't permanent. She'll be a temporary addition," I finished, trying to make everything as clear to them as possible though they all still had befuddled expressions.

Isaac turned his head to inspect the others before deftly raising his hand in question; I rolled my eyes, jerking my strong chin towards him to indicate he could have the floor. "Uh, who is 'she'?" he pondered uncertainly with narrowed eyes as his arm fell back to his side.

Raising my brows, I angled my head up and shouted, "CHRYS!"

* * *

Chrys's POV

"CHRYS!" I remotely registered a gruff voice yelling at me, the sound rousing me from a half-asleep state. Jolting up from my lounged position in the chair I had been relaxed in, I hopped to my feet and instinctively took up a defensive stance. When I had a moment to recollect my thoughts, I let my rigid body go slack. Sighing at myself, I chuckled and remembered where I was and what I was doing. That must've been Derek's cute little way of telling me to get my ass downstairs to meet his Pack. Glad to see he was still as charming and grumpy as ever.

Gulping, I mentally prepared myself and consciously slowed my thumping heartbeat. _You can do this_ , I assured my reflection as I made sure I was presentable in the dusty mirror. I threw my cardigan on the bed, suddenly feeling very warm, and emerged from my room sauntering through the hall towards the stairs which I lightly scampered down. When I rounded the corner at the bottom of the steps, I saw a gaggle of five teenagers in front of Derek who had yet to swivel his head and recognize me.

"Everybody this is Chrysanthemum Qynn, but call her Chrys," he announced me dryly and I pursed my lips as I ventured closer to get a better look at everyone. "Chrys this is Scott McCall, Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, Jackson Whittemore, and Vernon Boyd. My Pack," he introduced with pride, indicating who everyone was by pointing so I could match faces to names. I stopped by his side and brushed some hair from my face.

The first to say anything after a nonexistent pause was the tallest of the group, Vernon I believe Derek called him. "I prefer Boyd," was all he uttered in a surprisingly smooth and shy tone while running a hand over his almost bald head. He didn't look the type to be timid at all being over six feet and bulky in a muscular way, bigger even than his Alpha. His undoubtedly large hands were shoved in the pockets of his light blue jeans and he smiled politely at me, displaying his teeth through plump lips for a moment.

"Boyd it is then," I responded in a hushed voice as my orbs scanned over everyone else inquisitively just as they were studying me.

Naturally, the next one to catch my eye was the only girl among them, Erica. She scowled at me with plush, crimson painted lips and her amber hued eyes narrowed, glinting suspiciously at me. "I don't get it, how is she going to help us? Was she bitten too?" she interrogated huskily. Her honey blonde hair was coiled into thick artful ringlets that framed her face and she was curling one of the stray hairs around her finger as she awaited an answer from anyone who would supply one.

Before I got a chance to, Derek jumped on the inquiry. "No, she was born as well," he enlightened her which evoked a scoff. "What?" he prodded, his brows knitting together to form a crease in his brooding forehead.

"I think she's just confused as to how another born werewolf will help us at all?" Isaac spoke up tentatively, his sapphire eyes widened and his prominent jaw clenching. He was also tall like Boyd, but a bit shorter and lankier. Not to mention how his pale skin contrasted with Boyd's own rich ebony skin. He continued tightly while shifting his weight and tilting his head of dark blond waves curiously, "Being bitten isn't the same as being born a werewolf, you know that, so how can she do anything? She doesn't understand what it's like either." His full lips frowned as the rest of the Pack considered his words.

Derek opened his mouth to reply, but I held up a hand to stop him. The movement raised a few brows, but just because he was an Alpha, _my_ Alpha, didn't mean he could speak for me. "You have a point, I was born like this and control comes more naturally to born werewolves, but, here's the thing, it didn't for me. Just ask Derek. He spent every full moon for nearly a year with me trying to teach me how, but I just couldn't get the hang of it," I admitted unabashedly.

When I was young, I had been ashamed that I couldn't master my abilities, but now I've just accepted it as part of my past. "I know it's not the same as being bitten, but it's the best option you've got. Listen, I'm not here to intrude on your lives even if that's what it might feel like at the moment. I'm here to help you. All of you…" I concluded, pointedly staring up at Derek when I muttered the last sentence. He swallowed thickly but still didn't look directly at me.

"I think we need all the help we can get around here," Scott uttered in response, leering at me with approval in his sweet chocolate orbs that probably melted the hearts of many. I gave him a slight nod of appreciation and he returned it, tipping his head of onyx locks to me with a genuine bright grin that accentuated his skewed jawline.

Boyd stepped forward slightly, standing up straighter now. "He's right," he voiced his agreement with Scott in a heavy tone.

"Yeah," Isaac weakly inputted, adjusting the navy scarf around his neck.

"Well, if you ask me, this whole fucking thing is stupid. If our own great and powerful Alpha can't teach us, how's this bitch going to accomplish anything?" Jackson spat morosely, slitting his oceanic eyes in an accusatory way.

Derek took a threatening step towards him, his body taut and a clear growl rumbling in his chest. "Is all that hair gel seeping into your brain, or are you just naturally this dumb?" I'm sure most of the Pack would be stifling chuckles at the comment were it not for the menacing way it was delivered. "Show some goddamn respect and apologize," he grumbled protectively which definitely caught me off guard. What's it to him how they all treat me? It's not like he hasn't said worse...

Jackson gulped, his orbs now wide with terror. His gaze flickered over to me and his lean frame trembled slightly. "I-I'm sorry, Chrys. I didn't mean-"

"Yes you did," I interrupted as I crossed one ankle over the other and propped up one hand on a jutted out hip. "You meant what you said and that's fine; you're entitled to your own opinion. Just because Derek is abusing his power by bullying you into apologizing doesn't mean you have to lie," I assured him, though my words didn't appear to assuage him.

Derek turned half his body to regard me more fully with a befuddled expression on his face. "I'm sorry, did you really just call me a bully for having someone apologize to you for saying you were a bitch?" he pondered incredulously.

"Indeed I did," I simply retorted, flashing him a beam. Both Isaac and Erica were gaping in disbelief, and I was rather shocked with myself as well. I had to stop forgetting that he was my _Alpha_ now, not the little boy I used to know. He'd grown up. He was a man now, and a powerful one at that. "Sorry," I added halfheartedly in a mutter, conjuring a cough to mask the word.

A smirk tugged at his mouth and he leaned a bit closer. "What was that?"

 _You heard me_ , I longed to sassily reply, but I knew how to pick my battles, especially when it came to him. "I'm sorry," I repeated with more conviction, mustering a more sincere voice.

"Now then, the next full moon is in a couple days and that's when Chrys's real work will begin. Until then, you may do as you please, I don't really care." My toes curled at his callous tone and I suppressed a cringe. Right now he didn't sound like the Derek I once knew. "Just don't get into trouble, or there will be consequences," he promised, making sure they all heeded his warning before he dismissed them with a flick of his wrist. They disbanded, gathering their things on their way out the door.

He waited until the door had closed before returning his attention to me. "What the hell was that?" he asked, his arms still crossed and his nostrils flaring.

"You're going ot have to be more specific," I prodded, pivoting on my heel and traipsing to the kitchen area finding myself to be famished. He was hot on my heels, reaching the room as I opened the refrigerator and bent to inspect the contents.

"You were blatantly disrespecting me in front of my Pack!" he seethed as he slammed the fridge door shut, sufficiently startling me.

Twisting my lips to the side, I glared down at my bare feet and tucked some hair behind my ear. "Maybe you're just being too sensitive about your position," I prepositioned.

His face scrunched together as he rested his hand against the fridge to keep me from opening it again as I was moving to do so. "What?" he pressed for answers in a more gravelly tone.

"Listen, I get it, I do. You're a new Alpha with a new Pack under the Hale name and you're afraid you can't live up to it so you feel the need to exude dominance in order to prove yourself," I paused to take in a breath before rambling on.

"Hold on-"

"Or maybe to prove a point. Either way, soon you'll realize you're acting foolish and behave more benevolently towards the Pack because you're responsible for their lives now which scares the shit out of you," I trailed off in a whisper, glancing up at Derek to see if I could gauge what he was feeling by his face.

"I'm not scared," he informed me stoically, but I could see through the facade. The hardness in his eyes couldn't hide the fear, not from me. I knew him too well.

"Of course you're not," I played along with a subtle wink. "I know you think you're doing the best you can, but I'm here to tell you you can do better. You have to be better for them. They may not be Hale's, but those young wolves are your legacy now so you have to take care of all of them. Every. Single. One." I punctuated by words by poking him solidly in the chest a few times.

Derek gently grabbed my finger to cease the movement and I held my ground steady. "Where did all that come from?" he hushedly wondered, his thick brows lowering and his straight mouth wavering to tilt down slightly.

"I just know you, Der. Deny it all you want, but it's the truth," I answered breathily, yanking my hand from his grasp. I swear I could see a hint of a smile playing on his lips for just a second. "Oh, and I took some online college courses. Psychology. I just shrinked you," I teased, provoking an eye roll from him. He opened the fridge for me and I grinned, stooping to rummage through it while he retreated.

Another realization hit me and I shot upright, shouting at his back, "You could also be projecting your feelings of inadequacy when it comes to your issues with teaching them control by showing that you can still control them even if they can't control themselves and-" The burning look he threw over his shoulder silenced me. "Okay, I'll stop."

Derek sighed, a thoughtful expression crossing his face as he spun around and headed back over to me. "What did you think of all of them?" he inquired in an examining way, lifting a brow and leaning against the granite countertop.

I rolled my lips into my mouth and blindly grasped at a random piece of fruit. "D, I just met them. It's not very fair for me to judge them based on that one meeting, don't you think?"

He squinted to keep himself from rolling his eyes and huffed once more. "Sure, whatever, but first impressions. This is why you're here, to help me better understand my Pack, right psych major?" he teasingly pondered.

"First off, I didn't major in anything; it was just a couple online courses. Second, if you really want to know, here's the quick version: overall they're going to make an excellent Pack in the future, but they're all damaged in their own ways."

"Damaged? How would you know that? You said it yourself, you don't even know them, so how do you figure that?" Derek's defensive line of questioning didn't surprise me. Afterall, it wasn't only his Pack that we was defending, but it was himself as well.

"It's not that difficult to spot another lost soul. That's why you picked them, isn't it? To try and give them a better life. What is it Talia used to always say to those frightened, stray, freshly bitten werewolves she stumbled upon? The bite is a gift?" I regretted those last words as they rolled off my tongue and I pressed a hand over my face as if to shove them back in. First I bring up Laura and now Talia? What the hell was wrong with me?

Derek's glare switched to cold as he tensed back up, drawing up to his full height. Just as hastily as I saw his guard dropping, I saw it build back up. "Thanks for your input," his sarcastic tone contemptuously spit out before he abruptly stalked away.

"Wait, Der, I didn't mean-" Oh what's the point? He was gone. "Shit," I cursed myself through clenched teeth as I hit my head with the orange I'd forgotten I grabbed.

Crinkling up my nose in distaste, I let the fragrant fruit roll back onto the counter, suddenly losing my appetite. Instead. the feeling in my stomach was replaced, becoming nausea that had my insides roiling. Why couldn't I seem to get anything right with him? All I manage to do is put my goddamn foot in my mouth around him. Typical...

"Trouble in paradise?" a grating voice called from behind me and I swiveled to greet the speaker with a glower.

"What do you want Peter? I thought we talked about limiting my contact with you as much as possible?" I mused, tapping my nails on the counter and letting them sharpen into lethal claws as a vague warning to him.

He smirked playfully at me, remaining in his lounged position on the wall opposite me. "I take it by your tone things aren't going well?"

"Maybe I just don't like you," I bit out, scraping my claws against the solid granite.

"Careful! That was expensive," he scolded in a low voice.

I dug my nails in with more force just to spite him and he gave me the signature Hale eye roll because of my childishness. Even after years of living in their household I could still never deliver it with quite as much exasperation as they could. It was truly a gift, one I was working on mastering. Being around insufferable people like Peter helped me practice. "What do you want?" I reiterated, my agitation growing though I tried not to make that fact obvious.

"I want you to do what I asked you to come here for," his heavily condescending tone told me.

Gnawing on my inner cheek, I shook my head causing my chestnut waves of hair to swish in my face and I swept away unruly pieces from my face. "I'm trying to, Peter; he just doesn't want me here. Give it more time, it hasn't even been 12 hours. Hell, it hasn't even been three! So, why don't you lay the hell off me and crawl back into whatever hole you emerged from before I decide to dig my claws into something other than granite?" My venomous suggestion washed over him and the corner of his mouth quirked up in the slightest as he tore his form from the wall.

"You've certainly gotten more vicious...What brought about that change?" Instead of answering hi,, I pulled my lips into a tight line and let a savage growl build in my chest. "Easy tiger," he mockingly implored, raising his hands in surrender. "Or wolfie," he corrected himself, obviously getting a kick out of his stupid jokes. "I'll be seeing you around Chrys," he promised as he left the room. "It's my house too!"

I waited until he was out of sight and I heard his bedroom door slam closed before letting out the deep breath I'd been holding and mumbling to myself, "Asshole..."

* * *

Derek's POV

After my infuriating interaction with Chrys, I sought out the sanctuary of my bedroom. I peeled off my black t shirt and undid my belt buckle before falling back onto my bed with a huff. It had been a long day and it wasn't even dark out yet. Rubbing my face with both of my hands, I muffled a groan of irritation and stared up at the lofty ceiling.

Chrys being back was confusing to sum it up in a word. Things were so much simpler when we were kids, before the fire that is. She had always been closest with Laura and Cora, but her and I had actually gotten along at some points. We bonded most when I was teaching her how to shift. I don't know why my mother chose me to train her, but the experience brought us much closer than we had been.

Then the fire happened and everything changed. She left before the black smoke cleared from the sky and it was all her fault.

 _You can't blame it on her_ , Laura's wise but stern voice returned to me. _You shouldn't blame it on yourself either. Neither of you lit the match._

I might as well have. _We_ might as well have.

Tears pricked at my eyes and I couldn't pull myself away from the memories of what had happened all those years ago; they were relentlessly trying to consuming me as they did from time to time. How could they not with how vividly I remembered that day? That made it difficult to forget.

I clutched a pillow in my contracting fist and willed my mind away from those thoughts. Not tonight. I wasn't going to go to that place tonight.

Instead, I kicked off my blue jeans and slipped under the covers, exhaustion taking over. I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night due to apprehension over Chrys's arrival, but now that lack of rest was catching up to me. All I wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

Chrys's POV

I hadn't heard a peep from Derek since our earlier discussion. He had disappeared into his room hours ago and never came out, not even for dinner. Now it was well past dark and I was tired of waiting, or just tired in general. Today had been a lot to take, but nothing I couldn't handle. A good night's sleep would definitely help though.

Sighing, I picked myself up off the couch and padded upstairs silently. When I reached the top, I paused at Derek's door and tentatively shuffled towards it, pressing my ear against it. I could hear his light snoring even without the heightened werewolf senses and I smiled lightly at the sound. I used to hear that every night when I had lived with the Hale's since his room was right next to mine.

When I got back to my room, I stripped down to my underwear and crawled under the covers, ready to sleep, but I couldn't. My mind wouldn't stop racing.

It was beyond strange to be back in Beacon Hills. Like I was back, but I wasn't really back. The town didn't feel like it used to, it didn't feel like home anymore. This place was foreign to me. I used to miss this place like hell, but now that I was back I just missed New York. I missed Jason, the noise, the lights, and mostly the anonymity (that was nonexistent here). Beacon Hills was a small town; everyone knew everyone, and everyone especially knew the Hale's and their adopted little orphan girl that ran away after the tragedy.

Tossing in the bed, I shut out my inner monologue and tried to focus on the sounds of nature in the nearby woods. That's one thing I missed most from here, the wildlife. With my heightened senses, I could hear the soothing sounds of nature and they eventually lulled me to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** _First off I just want to thank everyone who reviewed! It seriously means the world to me 3. And, once again, my tumblr is wildrecklessyouthinme if you want updates, edits, gifs, etc about this story and more! Thank you so much to everyone supporting me, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter even though it's a bit of a filler, but Chrys had to meet the Pack! Got some more Chrys and Derek (Dhrys) action in this chapter, and there will be more to come. Please follow/favorite/review! It keeps me motivated. Love you all!_


	4. Chapter 3: Second First Impressions

**Chapter Three: Second First Impressions**

Chrys's POV

 _-13 Years Ago-_

My eyelids were unbelievably heavy, so it took me a few tries to coax them up and keep them that way. Blinding white light flooded my vision when I finally did completely open my eyes which prompted me to clench them shut again and cringe. Groaning, I brought my left hand up to my face and dragged it down, trying to erase the sleepiness from my features. Why was I so tired? I was usually extremely energetic in the morning, it drove mom and dad crazy!

Wait...mom and dad.

I bolted upright in the unfamiliar bed I was in, clutching the white sheet to my chest and letting out an anguished scream. It ripped violently through me as I rocked myself and sobs began wracking my body. All the events from last night hit me like a freight train and I helplessly succumbed to crumbling underneath the weight of it all.

They were dead. My mother and father were dead, I had watched it happen. Why did I do that? Why did I have to break the last promise I made to my mom? What possessed me to want to witness such a vile thing?

Someone burst through the door to the foreign room I was in which only caused my screeches to grow shriller. "Who are you!?" I shouted desperately, shielding my body protectively as best as I could with my weak right arm. It still hadn't totally healed from its multiple injuries last night, but it was bandaged up now.

The pale man, who looked to be upwards of ten years my senior, held out his hands in a calming gesture, trying to get me to settle down. "Shhh, it's okay, you're fine," he promised quietly with impossibly wide icy blue orbs. "I'm sorry, I was supposed to be here when you woke up, but- well it's not important." He pushed shaggy sable hair from his alarmed eyes and cautiously approached the bed where I still sat cradling my arm, but no longer yelling. I was just taking heaving breaths, trying not to show weakness to this stranger.

"Who are you?" I hissed again with a trembling chin, determined to get answers.

He smirked slightly and gingerly sat on the edge of the bed while I curled my knees up to my chest and gave him a fiery glare with my glassy indigo eyes. "Uh, my name is Peter. Peter Hale," he introduced himself, sticking out his large hand for me to shake and I quickly snubbed it. Peter withdrew his proffered appendage awkwardly. "What do you remember from last night, sweetie? What's your name?" he inquired smoothly with pity and concern written on his face.

"It's not sweetie," I rudely spat back through clenched teeth with a slight tremor in my tone. "And I remember everything...I don't think I'll ever be able to forget," I trailed off, my voice cracking near the end as I staved off the tears gathering behind my eyes. How did I still have tears left?

"Wait, did you say your name was Hale? Is this the Hale House?" I pondered, my stomach flipping. All he did in answer was a simple nod of his head and a wave of relief crashed over me as I slumped back into the headboard. "I made it mom and dad, I made it," I whispered to myself, my head thudding back and my orbs fluttering shut for a brief moment to let the small victory wash over me.

His immaculate brows furrowed as he regarded me with curiosity. "Wait, you've heard about us?" he interrogated incredulously right back.

"Of course I have. You're the most prestigious family of our species," I replied breathlessly, propping myself back up to stare at him, my demeanor softening. Peter was a Hale, live and in the flesh. I never thought I'd meet one, and I especially never thought I'd be so ill-mannered to one. As I prepared to apologize for my behavior, another person entered the room.

She couldn't have been more than a couple years older than me, but she was beautiful. Her emerald orbs raked over me, perfectly manicured brows raised over them. Her skin was paler, like Peter's, and she also had a sharply defined bone structure like him. She tossed her straight, waist length, shining onyx hair over her shoulder as she whirled on Peter. "You were supposed to tell us when she woke up, Uncle Peter!" she scolded, her full lips pouting at him.

He gaped and stood, crossing his arms. "Laura, how could you not have known? Are you deaf? She was screaming bloody murder!" Peter defended himself, but his choice of words made me wince because it reminded me of the massacre I had seen last night. Gerard chopped my parents in half as if they were just animals awaiting slaughter.

I gulped as a single tear rolled down my face and I deftly wiped it away with my thumb. Laura, the girl who'd just entered, took notice. "And now you've upset her. Why don't you make yourself useful and go tell the others? I'll take care of her," she mumbled, tutting his insensitivity and shooing him out the door before closing it.

Laura approached me as I sniffled and gave her a tight lipped half smile. "Hi, I'm Laura Hale, as you may have guessed. Can you tell me your name?" she politely asked in a gentle way. She scooted up on the bed so she was stationed across from me with her skinny bare legs crossed.

"It's Chrysanthemum Qynn." My reply came out in a weak voice and she quirked a brow at me in shock.

"Isn't chrysanthemum a flower?" she asked innocently, cocking her head to the side. I shrugged and nodded at her. "Well, that's a beautiful name, but quite a mouthful. Do you have a nickname?" she pressed, leaning a bit closer to me.

I opened my mouth, thinking I was ready to reply, but no words came out, I choked on them. Technically, I did have a nickname (two actually), but they were one's mom and dad gave me. Using those names now felt wrong somehow, like they didn't belong to me but to them and they were gone now. I didn't think I could handle anyone calling me those names for the time being. So, instead of saying anything, I shook my head again.

She flashed her teeth at me, but not in a threatening way, in a friendly one. "Chrysanthemum it is then," she muttered as I glanced down at my shaking fingers. Her hands surged forward and grasped mine causing me to give a startled jolt as I watched her fingers intertwine delicately with mine. "Don't worry. You're safe here with us, believe me," she reassuringly murmured.

"She's right," a husky voice confirmed from the doorway and my head snapped towards the direction of the speaker. The woman, who had her layered black hair tucked behind her ears, crossed her arms loosely over her chest as she glided with effortless grace into the room. Her insanely dark eyes gazed at me warmly and her maroon tinged lips tugged into a subtle smile that sparked a twinkle in those entrancing orbs.

"Mother," Laura breathed out in greeting with a grin as she leapt up, making the bed bounce and squeak. "This is Chrysanthemum Qynn, Chrysanthemum this is Talia Hale," she introduced me to the lady who was most likely mid to late thirties and looked absolutely nothing like her daughter. Her freckled, deeply tanned skin contrasted with her child's own fair creamy skin and they didn't seem to share anything in common other than the fierce facial shape.

"I-It's nice to m-meet you," I stammered, my body still folded.

She strode next to the bedside and peered down at me inquisitively, inspecting me. "We met last night, but you probably wouldn't remember that would you?" she prodded, lowering her brows.

"No, ma'm," I responded stiffly, gritting my teeth together.

"You may call me Talia. In fact, I prefer it; there's no need to be so formal."

I rolled my lips into my mouth and twirled a piece of hair around my finger nervously, a movement that which reminded me of something that caused an abrupt panic to rise in my chest. "The ring!" I squealed, throwing the covers off of myself and frantically searching through them for the object I desired. "Where is it? Where is it?" I pleadingly questioned, verging on hysteria.

"Where's what?" Laura pondered with a scrunched up face, seeking clarification.

"My mother's wedding ring! I thought I had it when I was on your doorstep last night and now I can't find it," I hurriedly explained, still tearing through the layers of bedding.

Talia wrapped a hand around my frail shoulder and cleared her throat to draw my attention to her. In her other hand dangled a silver chain with the ring hanging on it. "You mean this?"

I hastily snatched it from her grasp and slipped it over my head with a thankful grin. "Where'd you get this?"

"It was in your hand when we found you. I figured it was important and you wouldn't want it to get lost," she told me, returning the beam. I clasped the cool circlet tightly, bringing it to my lips and pressing a kiss to it.

"So if that's your mom's then why do you have it?" a familiar voice callously questioned. Peter had returned to the room with a toddler hanging onto the navy fabric of his shirt.

"Peter!" Both Talia and Laura snapped at him in unison.

"He just said what you all thought," the new little girl piped up in a small voice, her brown eyes rolling slightly.

"Exactly; thank you, Cora," he praised, ruffling her short brunette hair.

Talia swiveled to regard them in a commanding tone, "Why don't you go get Derek? He's the one who found her, so I'm sure he'll want to see that she's alright for himself."

Peter saluted Talia, taking Cora's tiny hand in his own. "Sure thing, sis," he mumbled petulantly as he departed.

"You'll have to excuse my daughter and brother, I'm afraid they're rather blunt at inappropriate times," she apologized on their behalf. "Derek, my son, heard you faint on the porch late last night and carried you up to me, but prior to that I don't know what happened to you. Could you fill in the blanks for me Chrysanthemum?"

A hard lump slithered down my throat as I prepared to tell her a short version of my story, something that wouldn't be easy. Saying everything out loud for the first time made it feel so real. Nevertheless, I told her everything with Laura soothingly stroking my hair and back throughout while Talia listened intently without saying a word. "And, after the Hunters...killed them, I ran here because they told me that the Hale's took in Omegas, protected them. Is that true?" I pondered in a hopeful voice.

Resting an arm around my shoulders, Talia pressed my body against hers before pulling back to stare into my eyes, placing both of her hands on my cheeks. "Of course we will protect you, Chrysanthemum. And you're not and Omega anymore," she promised, her orbs glowing scarlet for a moment before fading to their regular hue. A couple more tears leaked from my eyes and trailed down my face, but these were tears of joy. For the first time in my life, I had a Pack, and it was the Hale Pack no less.

A cough brought everyone's notice to a boy not much older than I standing in the corner. There was no doubt in my mind that he was Laura's brother because of how alike they looked which must've made him Derek. Laura introduced me to him which only confirmed my suspicions.

"Laura, why don't we give these two a minute alone?" Talia suggested, steering her out of the room as she graced me with one final smile before closing the door.

An awkward silence cloaked the moment that followed and I bravely decided to break it. "Thank you."

"Are you okay?" he asked at the same time which made us both bark a laugh. "You first," he insisted, venturing away from the corner to the chair at my bedside that his mother had occupied.

"I just wanted to say thank you, and I've been better," I stated quietly.

His gorgeous green orbs flickered up to look at me sympathetically and he came back up to a stand, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "You should take a nap, I just wanted to check up on you. It was nice meeting you, Chrysanthemum," he said, stumbling over the name which prompted a blush to flourish on his cheeks. "And, uh, welcome to the Pack…"

* * *

Derek's POV

 _-13 Years Ago-_

I closed the door to the room Chrysanthemum was occupying and shuffled down the corridor where I heard voices whispering hurriedly. My brows knitted together as I used extra caution to make myself silent so my presence would be unknown to those I was eavesdropping on. Flattening my body against the wall, I intently listened to the exchange between my mother and uncle around the corner.

"Did you hear her last name? She's a Qynn! As in Smith ad Carina," Peter hissed vehemently.

"Yes, I'm aware of that thank you. What's your point?" Talia replied dryly, seemingly bored or annoyed with the topic of conversation.

Scoffing, Peter continued on to explain himself. "Not to question your decision as an Alpha, but are you fucking insane!? The Qynn's were branded traitorous fugitives, and you want to bring one into our home, into our Pack? Bront is looking for them, any of them, and he has been for almost a decade. What do you think he'll do when he finds out we're harboring his enemy's daughter?"

Qynn...I knew I had recognized that name from somewhere. Mother had forbidden us from talking about them because she thought it was pointless gossip, but the Qynn family had quite the interesting history with the prominent Bront Pack.

"I don't give a damn about Richard. That evil bastard can't touch us and you know that as well as I do. Besides, how would he ever even know Chrysanthemum was with us? We can keep her hidden from him, we have to. I already promised her sanctuary here."

"But Talia-"

She cut him off, murmuring with finality, "No buts! I've already made up my mind, and it would do you well to respect that, brother. Don't forget who's in charge around here."

 _-Present Day-_

The soft early gray light of morning filtered in through my window, gently stirring me from my rest. Groaning, I rolled over from my stomach onto my back and yawned, stretching my limbs. I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and slid into my discarded jeans that were in a heap on the floor as I hopped up, strolling over to the window while I zipped them.

Raindrops fell lightly from the cloudy sky and splattered against the glass making a satisfying sound. I had always loved the serenity of the morning. My life was usually so hectic that the early hours of the day were one of the rare moments I got to myself and enjoyed, but the moment couldn't last forever. I had a guest afterall.

Padding out of my bedroom, I apprehensively made my way down the hall towards Chrys's room and quietly rapped on the door with my knuckles so that I wouldn't wake her just in case she was still asleep. Upon hearing no response, I cracked it open and peered inside to see her bed empty and made up, like it hadn't been slept in at all.

Furrowing my brows, I tried not to listen to the thoughts that immediately popped into my mind. _She bailed. She was kidnapped. Peter probably killed her._ I threw the door open, entering with a taut body as my gaze swept the room searching for clues, but instead they saw Chrys languidly sitting on a chair in front of the window. She didn't glance in my direction, even after the abrupt intrusion.

"Good morning to you to, Derek," she lazily greeted, tossing down the sketch book she had been working in and spinning to face me.

My jaw went slack when I took in her appearance and my eyes instantly averted to the ceiling because all she was wearing was a lacy white bralette and panties to match which left little to the imagination. I cleared my throat in discomfort. "What is it?" she pondered cluelessly, stepping closer.

"What're you wearing?" I answered her question with a question, my eyes briefly finding her scantily clad form again.

Chrys snorted, running a hand through her knotted locks. "More clothes than I went to bed with, so count yourself lucky for that," she retorted slyly with a hint of mischievousness. I sighed through my nose and continued to stare obviously at the ceiling. "Wait, is this seriously bothering you?" she teasingly asked, gesturing to herself. "It's nothing you haven't seen before," she sing songed, still poking fun at me as she giggled.

I willed myself to keep looking away, at anything other than her, a task that was becoming increasingly difficult. Just because I hated her didn't mean I didn't find her attractive. You can hate people and still find them attractive, right? "Can you just put some damn clothes on?" I implored her in the most monotonous way I could.

She rolled her eyes at me and took a daring step forward. "This is such a typical double standard. How come you get to walk around half naked, but I don't get to?" she said in reference to my naked chest, her exasperation quite apparent.

"At least I have pants on," I countered, no longer even trying to avoid her entrapping glare. I matched it and managed to only look in her eyes.

"Jason never had a problem with it," she grumbled, jutting out her hip, the one with a triskelion tattoo on it that was a smaller version of my own.

Thrusting my chin forward, I felt my thick brows draw together again as my fists clenched. "Jason? Who the fuck is Jason?" I asked with a rough edge to my voice that could've been misconstrued as possessiveness.

She waved me off and sauntered gracefully over to the trunk at the foot of her bed, bending to open it. "My roommate in New York, also a werewolf. He's a great guy, but you'd hate him because you hate just about everybody," she responded, plucking out an oversized lavender shirt. "But hey, if it bothers you that much, I'll wear a shirt," she conceded, yanking the top over her head. It was just barely long enough to cover everything.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I composed myself so that we could return to having a normal conversation. A moment of silence passed as she started throwing her hair up into a ponytail and I felt the uncontrollable need to fill it. "How'd you sleep?"

"Der, you know I hate small talk," she mumbled, bumping me on her way out since I took up most of the doorway. She traipsed down the hall and stairs and I followed after her with no reluctance.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm an avid coffee drinker now, I almost never go a day without it. Please tell me you have some?" she wondered, reaching the kitchen and beginning to trifle through cabinets in search of caffeine.

I watched her struggle for another minute or two with a smirk plastered on my lips before providing her an answer. "Cabinet closest to the fridge," I pointed out and she gasped excitedly as she pulled it from the cupboard.

"Oh, you got the good stuff," Chrys complimented, going through the motions of making coffee like a finely tuned machine. "Full moon is tomorrow," she announced, as if I wasn't well acquainted with the lunar cycle. I was about to snarkily say as much when I decided better of it and snapped my mouth shut. "What do you do with your Pack?"

"Same thing I used to do with you," I mused in a low voice as she reached for a mug, the hem of her shirt rising as she did to once again provide me with a view of her backside. "Chain them up," I finished cheekily with a smile, one that only grew when she whirled around and leered at the floor to hide the flushed apples of her cheeks.

Chrys forcibly returned my beam and steeled herself on the counter. "Right. In the tunnels," she gritted out.

The beeping of the coffee machine called to her, but she didn't seem to be hearing it. "Chrys?" I murmured.

"Hmm?"

"The coffee."

Her brows rose and she awoke from whatever trance she had fallen in. "Oh shit, that. Yeah, I got it," she stammered, reaching for her mug and pouring a fresh cup of the steaming liquid. She drank it straight, not waiting for it to cool or adding milk or sugar to dull the extremely bitter taste. She gulped it down with ease as I rose to get a cup for myself. "So what're you gonna do today?" she asked politely, cradling her mug with both hands so it would warm her palms.

"What happened to hating small talk?" I mocked, taking my seat across from her again while she still stood.

"Fair enough. Well, in case you were wondering, I'll probably be in the woods most of the day," Chrys informed me, now steadily sipping from her second cup of coffee.

I gave her a pointed look and motioned to the outdoors. "You know it'll be raining all day, don't you?"

Chrys tilted her head, shrugging at me. "Despite what you think of me, I'm not the Wicked Witch. A little water won't hurt me, I'm not going to melt," her raspy voice whispered in a light manner, but there was thinly veiled hurt behind her words.

Now that I was more awake, it occurred to me that we had been bantering and the cold shoulder I was so defiant on giving her was thawing. _That's because deep down you know you should forgive her_ , Laura's voice made its first intrusive appearance for the day and I shut it down quickly. "I don't need you around until tomorrow night anyways, so do whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me," I dismissively responded, tapping my fingertips on the cool granite.

Her jaw hung open and bewilderment skittered across her face before she could stop it. "Okay, that's fine. I'll see you tomorrow night then, Derek," she seethed passive aggressively, tossing her dish into the sink and stomping back up to her room.

"Why can't you two just play nice?" Peter's sarcastic voice piped up as he strolled in with only a towel around his waist.

"Jesus, when did everyone in this house stop wearing clothes?" I mumbled rhetorically to myself, downing the last dregs of my beverage.

Peter rolled his orbs at me, shaking droplets out of his damp hair. "You didn't answer me," he prodded.

"You know good and well why we're not 'playing nice'," I menacingly spat. "I didn't even want her here in the fucking first place, _you're_ the one who brought her here, _I_ never wanted to see her again."

"Well aren't we being melodramatic this morning?" he droned, unamused.

I gripped my empty mug and had to keep myself from shattering it. "You know what she did. If she hadn't been with us, then the fire never would've happened."

"Come on, stop being an asshole and grow up, Derek!"

"Excuse me?" I inquired with a raised brow. Did no one respect Alpha's anymore?

He glared me down, a glimmer of disappointment in his orbs. "The only one to blame for that is Kate. Hell, no one even accused you of fault even though you were quite literally sleeping with the enemy, so why are you so goddamn hard on Chrys?" Peter inquired gruffly in a sharp tone.

My mouth opened as if to say something, but then closed once more. How could I put into words why I still resented Chrys? About why I did? For some reason, my mind was drawing a blank on the subject and a smug smirk ghosted on Peter's lips. Unable to come up with an appropriate response for him, I simply got up to leave, growling on my way out "I don't have to answer to you…"

* * *

Chrys's POV

I don't know how long I had been meandering around aimlessly in the forest, it had to have been a couple hours at least, but I inevitably ended up in the one place I swore to myself many years ago I'd never return to: the Hale House. Subconsciously I always knew I'd end up back here somehow, but I thought it would be in a less voluntary situation. This was my way of ripping off the band aid I suppose since I'd be on the property tomorrow anyways. At least this would be less overwhelming because it's on my own terms.

Approaching my old home slowly, I felt a chill crawl up from the tips of my toes and blossom throughout my body, and something told me it wasn't just caused by the dreary day. I crested over the top of the hill and halted, sorrow clouding over me as I dug my toes into the damp earth beneath my feet and leered at the remains of a once fantastic estate which was now reduced to a charred skeleton of its former self. I wrapped my flannel tighter around my body, enveloping myself in my own arms.

Against my better judgement, I found myself advancing on the house. I climbed the front stairs, avoiding broken and splintered planks, and nudged the door open, entering without hesitation. It looked just as bad inside as it did on the outside, but at least from in here I was shielded from the rain as long as I avoided the spots where the roof was missing. Slicking back the wet hair sticking to my face, I began wander through the rooms with creaky footsteps, though I dared not go upstairs.

Nature had started to overgrow, infiltrating the dilapidated place. Rocks, dirt, and leaves littered the ground while branches crept up the soot covered walls, or what was left of them. Chunks of the floors and walls were missing and all of the windows were smashed in, the glass scattered haphazardly, and yet, in spite of all this, I could still picture it exactly as it was six years ago. I could still see the glorious home that used to proudly stand here and I could distantly hear the voices of the people that used to live here alongside me.

The Hale House was the only real home I'd ever had in my life. Sure, I had a nice set up in New York, but it didn't make me feel like I did when I lived here. Here I had a community, a Pack I belonged to. What did I have now? An Alpha who hated me and a Pack I didn't even know? I wasn't exactly in an enviable position.

Sighing to myself, I spun on my heel and exited back into the rain which was pounding down more furiously than it was when I had gone inside. I decided it was time to find shelter, but I wasn't ready to go back to Derek's yet, not after the events of this morning. So, I headed for civilization with a new destination in mind. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I picked up my pace and mentally directed myself to the one and only bar in this town. "I need a drink."

* * *

 **A/N:** _THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO IS REVIEWING, IT SERIOUSLY MEANS THE WORLD TO ME! I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; you got a little backstory (which you'll continue to get more of) and some Chrys/Derek interaction! I'm just really surprised and ecstatic that people actually seem to be liking this story, and I love writing it! I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned. As usual, favorite/follow/review pretty please! Love you all 3_


	5. Chapter 4: 3 Things Can't Long Be Hidden

**Chapter Four: Three Things Cannot Long Be Hidden**

Derek's POV

By the time I strolled into the dark loft it was about midnight and I was beyond exhausted. I locked up and made my way over to the couch, flopping down with a hefty sigh across from Peter who was occupying the chair with a book in his hand, reading by the piddly light the lamp on the table beside him emitted. "Long day?" he mused absently, noisily flipping a page as I spread out my limbs with a groan and rested my eyes.

"You don't know that half of it," I grumbled in response. After Chrys left, I spent the majority of the day with my Pack, excluding Scott. Boyd, Erica, Isaac, and Jackson skipped about half their school day to come meet with me for a training session.

I was still teaching them the basics about how to be a werewolves, what it meant to be a werewolf, and how to defend themselves in a fight because there always seemed to be one around the corner for us. It was important that I strengthen my Pack because the stronger they were the stronger I was. Being a part of the Hale Pack was an honor, but they had to live up to the name and that's exactly what I was trying to get my Pack to do.

"Did you make up with Chrys yet?" he pressed dryly, feigning disinterest as his calculating orbs remained glued to the words in his novel.

Sitting up, I pinned him with a penetrating glare through my narrowed emerald eyes. "Why the hell would I do that?" The inquiry came out with an intentional dangerous edge that served as a fair warning for my uncle to tread carefully on this subject, not that it mattered to him.

"Better question is why wouldn't you? Did you really think I wouldn't notice how you dodged the topic of why you still hate her earlier? You're not exactly the most subtle, Derek," he pointed out with a tsk, finally pushing his book to the side so he could match my menacing stare with an icy one of his own as he settled into his seat in an open and relaxed position.

"How about this for an answer: it's none of your goddamn business, now leave it alone," I bitingly retorted with malice lacing my tone.

Peter rolled his eyes at me as he came gracefully to a stand that I mimicked while crossing my arms. "Fine. Do what you want, _Alpha_ ," he exaggerated my prestigious title mockingly as he turned towards the stairs. "But, if you want my advice, you should have a talk with her when she gets back and put this childish nonsense behind you so you can move on."

"What're you talking about? She's not here yet?" I interrogated incredulously in a gruff voice, drawing my brows together in confusion.

A sickening smirk curved at his lips as he glanced over his shoulder at me. "Oh no, she hasn't been back here all day," he informed me nonchalantly with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

My nostrils flared as I burned holes in his back while he ascended the steps and I dug my nails into my palm, nails that were threatening to morph into deadly claws. How was that Peter could always get a rise out of me? It was baffling. Even more astounding however was Chrys's absence. Where the fuck could she be?

I whipped out my phone and hastily turned it on to check if I had any messages that might clue me into her whereabouts. Nothing. Squeezing the device in my hand, I tossed it down to the couch before I had a chance to snap it in two. Frustration swirled inside me as I contemplated what she was doing, where she was doing it, and who she was doing it with.

 _Thought you didn't care_. "Shut up Laura, I don't," I griped petulantly out loud before realizing I sounded like a fucking crazy person. I really didn't care, honest, but Chrys was now an official member of the Hale Pack once more which meant she was my responsibility. As her Alpha, it was my job to ensure her well-being which was difficult to do when she didn't communicate with me. I'd be just as worried and angry if it were Isaac, Erica, Boyd, or Jackson-well maybe not Jackson-dropping off the map like this.

Resolving to confront Chrys when she came back to the loft, I laid back on the couch and prepared to impatiently await her return all night if I had to, because something told me that's what it would take. Knowing her, she would stealthily roll in at some ridiculous hour of the morning expecting everyone to be asleep, but I would be here to catch her.

- _The Next Morning_ -

"Get your ass up," Peter mumbled, nudging my body with his foot.

Immediately I awoke with a start and hurriedly got to my feet, shaking away my grogginess. "What is it?" I asked with urgency.

"Almost 11 am, that's what it is," he teased, rearranging pillows and blankets on the furniture so the living room appeared more tidy.

"Huh?" I murmured, rubbing my face vigorously.

Peter resumed the precise position he was in last night when I arrived which was in the chair with some dusty old book, not bothering to look at me as he addressed me. "You fell asleep waiting for Chrys to come home."

"And did she?" I blurted, my curiosity getting the best of me. Much to my dismay, Peter noticed my eagerness and his signature sly expression slid onto his face. "I mean-"

He held up a hand to cut me off and shook his head at me disapprovingly. "Say no more. And to answer your question, no she did not," Peter replied mirthlessly with raised brows.

Licking my chapped lips, I leaned against the arm of the couch, ruffling my messy hair. "That doesn't bother you?" I pondered, tilting my head to the side.

"She's an adult, Derek. She can do whatever the fuck she wants, I couldn't care less," he uttered lowly as I scratched my scruff nervously.

"So, it doesn't trouble you in the slightest? You're the one who brought her here, shouldn't you be the one keeping tabs on her or something?"

He leered at me over his book with a sneer twisting his features. "What part of 'she's an adult' don't you understand? I'm not her damn babysitter and I'm not her keeper. When did tracking Chrys become my job?"

"Just forget it, Peter. I'll figure out where she is myself," I spat back, heading up to my room to get ready. Chrys would definitely be in trouble when I found her.

* * *

Chrys's POV

The feeling of someone's soft hand gently caressing the supple curves of my side roused me from my peaceful slumber. A grin slowly spread across my lips as I turned over to peer at Lilac. I had met her at the bar late last night and we'd bought each other drinks. Needless to say she ended up inviting me back to her shabby hotel room.

The girl smiled dazzlingly peering down at me with hooded powder blue orbs and propping herself up on her elbow while continuing to stroke my hair. "Good morning," I mumbled thickly, stretching my limbs languidly.

"Morning sleepy head," she returned delicately, tossing her long mane of platinum blonde hair over her frail, creamy shoulder. Her heavy makeup from the night before was smeared across her face and her dark lipstick was smudged, but she was still ethereally gorgeous. She had a strange yet alluring look about her that I just found irresistible which is how I ended up in this strangers bed in the first place.

I tossed the covers off of my naked body and strode over towards the sink, feeling her eyes follow my every fluid move along the way. "Last night was fun, Li. Thanks, it was just what needed," I said gratefully, catching her orbs in the mirror with my own to convey my sincerity. After only a day in Beacon Hills I had craved a stress reliever, and she was the perfect solution.

"No problem. Hey, are you busy today? 'Cause I'd like to go get some breakfast," she proposed, rolling out of bed and gathering her clothes that were strewn about. I bit my lower lip, clenching my eyes shut as I thought about the offer. This was only a one time thing and I didn't want either of us to get attached. Hell, I hadn't even meant to sleep over.

I guess my silence was too prolonged because she spoke up again as she hopped into her shredded black skinny jeans. "Look, I know it was just a one night stand. We both had a good time and we can go our separate ways, but I'm starving and I'd like to spend a little sober time with you before I never see you again," she jokingly jabbed, shimmying on a white linen tank top as I got into my pants.

"Well, Beacon Hills is a small town. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again," I alluded lightly in reply. "But sure, I could go for some food." _It's just breakfast_ , I reassuringly thought to myself. _What's the worst that could happen?_

- _Later That Day_ -

 _Shit, shit, shit!_ My inner monologue cursed at me as I left Derek's empty loft defeatedly at a sprint, making a dash for the woods. Let's just say today did not go as planned. First I found out I lost my phone at the bar last night, then Lilac took me to some rundown little diner in the middle of nowhere to get food despite my protest, after that the car broke down, then we got lost on our way back, and now I was fucking screwed.

Night had already fallen and I was scrambling around trying to find the Pack before the full moon hit its peak and it was too late for me to help them through their shift as I was supposed to, as I told them I would. Since they weren't at the house, I could only assume D had gone on without me and taken them to the tunnels on the old Hale property. Damn he was going to be pissed when I showed up...How could I be failing him this early on?

* * *

Derek's POV

The stench of wet earth permeated the dank tunnels we were all crammed in. I led my Pack through the various twists and turns, knowing the path to our destination by memory. This would only be their second time changing in the tunnels and they weren't the biggest fans of it the first time, but it was the best I could do for the moment. That didn't keep some of them from complaining though.

"It smells like something died down here," Jackson griped with a sigh as he dragged his feet along the ground.

"That can be arranged if you don't shut the fuck up," Erica seethed over her shoulder with a snarl. Obviously the full moon had everyone's tensions running high, it tended to throw our emotions off.

I swallowed my chuckle at her retort as we came to a halt at the metal door and I opened it to reveal the circular space. Moonlight flooding in from barred windows above illuminated the details of the place in a soothing blue hue. It was a small room that had a domed ceiling, no source of artificial light, and, the crowning jewel, several heavy rusted chains that needed replacing adorning the walls.

Boyd and Isaac entered first, dropping the trunk they held between them with a grunt. Erica slowly followed in, her heels clacking against the cement flooring that was sporadically spattered with old blood stains; she studied the patterns of them with sick fascination. Jackson was the only one who lingered in the doorway.

"Well," I prodded, "are you going to join us?" I gestured inside the room to usher him along and yet he still hesitated.

"Do I have a choice?" he bitterly mumbled, his orbs sweeping the space with a grimace of distaste.

I shrugged, crossing my arms and giving the rest of my Pack a glance. "Sure you do, Jackson. If you want to be a part of this Pack and live, then come in, but, if you want to be an Omega and die, then you can go," I prepositioned, my authoritative voice echoing around us. He actually took a pause to contemplate his choices which had me questioning why I even turned him in the first place. He was nothing more than a spoiled, selfish, unloyal brat. "Decide now!" I demanded, my voice growing exponentially harsher and evoking a startled jolt matched with a shocked expression from him.

"Alright, alright...I'm in," he conceded, lifting his hands in surrender as he traversed the threshold cautiously, joining the other young wolves at my back. I reached forward to close the door when his voice stopped me again. "Wait, what about that Chrys chick? Isn't she supposed to be here to help us or whatever?"

Huffing through my flared nostrils, I slammed the door shut with finality before turning around to answer. "Chrys isn't coming," I grumbled and left it at that as I shoved in-between the huddle they had gathered in to get to the chest sitting on the floor. They could sense not to pry further on the matter.

Crouching, I began undoing the padlocks keeping the box sealed and popped the top as my Pack formed a semicircle around me. "You guys know the drill," I commandingly uttered as I withdrew a specialized headcollar. Erica whimpered at the sight of it and both Isaac and Boyd gave her a comforting look as they restrained her. They escorted her over to a spot with chains dangling from the wall and shackled them around her wrists and ankles before pinning her to the surface to keep her from squirming as I approached her, the headcollar swinging in my hand.

"Is this really necessary?" she pondered pleadingly with a gulp and a hint of terror in her round honey orbs, eyes she soon clamped shut in preparation.

I lowered the device over her head as she quaked in anticipation for the excruciating suffering that was to come. "Unfortunately," was my only response, whispered regretfully as I twisted a creaky rod protruding from the side to tighten the spikes surrounding the headcollar so they would pierce her skull.

Isaac directed his stare elsewhere as Erica's body writhed, trying to twist away, and she screamed in agony. Boyd attempted to remain stoic, but his slight cringes gave him away. He hated seeing his best friend in pain like this, like she was every month, and I hated it too. However, we had no other choice. Without it she would be far too dangerous. The only way to end it was for her to learn control, something Chrys was supposed to aid her with.

Once she was secured, I went about fastening everyone else in at a hurried pace seeing as the moon would be reaching its peak soon. Boyd required more bondage due to his immense strength and I made Jackson's extra tight just because; Isaac on the other hand didn't need much at all. After all, he was the one that had progressed the farthest in learning control. His chains were more of a precautionary measure.

As soon as my Pack was tied down, I retreated to the middle of the room and made a slow circle to inspect them all. Erica was whining to herself, crimson droplets dripping from the small puncture wounds in her forehead down her frowning face as she tried to keep herself from quivering. A disgruntled Jackson pouted, testing the give on his chains to see if he could break free of them. Isaac stood with his orbs shielded and his head tilted back to expose his neck with only his wrist shackles keeping him in place. Standing as still as a wall across from him was Boyd.

The mood of the room had shifted. They were all quiet for once, waiting. By now they were feeling that itch crawling beneath their skin, their body temperatures rising along with their heart rates and their breaths becoming more shallow. All of their fists were clenching and unclenching, their teeth gritted, and they were working their jaws in discomfort as they were prepared themselves for the change that would soon violently consume them. Growls began building from deep within their stomachs as their eyes started to glow, all of them were golden other than Jackson's which were cerulean.

I myself felt the affects of the full moon, but years of concentrated practice had made me a master at managing myself and reigning in the beast, though it was tempting to give into the wild side every now and again. Lately those urges had been happening more often.

Savage snarls and screeching chains brought my attention away from the brief introspection back to the present. "Oh shit," I uttered to myself, taking a step back towards the door upon seeing my Pack. I should've listened to my gut and swapped out those chains out for newer more durable ones because something told me that these weren't going to last this full moon. Perhaps the most tell-tale sign was the sound of multiple links on the verge breaking.

They were fully transformed now, all but Isaac who was only halfway there; he was sitting in his corner, subdued and trying to repress his most animalistic impulses that were fighting to take over. The rest of them were gnashing their fanged teeth at me, drool dripping from the corners of their mouths as they reached in my direction with claws outstretched.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I murmured under my breath as I stepped away again, my back almost hitting the door. Even though I was the Alpha, I couldn't take on three of my Pack at once with no support, not without causing some serious damage to them and/or me.

Boyd had already gotten one hand loose along with both his feet and Erica was using her freed hands to start removing the headcollar while Jackson tore at the chains on his ankles. I leered over to Isaac in search of help seeing as he had assisted me in a situation like this before, but he was currently facing the wall clutching his head as he continued to struggle with the wolf inside him, so obviously that ruled him out as a lifeline.

My mind raced as I tried to figure a way out of this. I couldn't just leave them, they might tear each other apart and that's exactly what I didn't want. One thing I could try was asserting my dominance over them, but would it be enough to keep them at bay? Anything was worth a shot at this point because they were snapping through the last of their chains and getting ready to advance on me.

However, I didn't get the chance to release the roar building within me as I was interrupted by the door being yanked open to reveal a disheveled and panting Chrys. I couldn't keep the astonishment from surfacing on my face as she entered and slammed the door behind her, barring us in with the young rabid wolves. "You're late," was all I managed to say breathlessly.

"I know, I'll explain later," she promised, peering up at me apologetically. "For now I think it would be in our best interest if you used that newfound Alpha power of yours."

With no further hesitation, I let my razor canines protrude and felt my nails thicken and sharpen to lethal points. My orbs glowed like rubies and I let out a deafening guttural roar that seemed to shake the whole room. I could feel potent waves of power rolling off of me, washing over my Pack, and they instantly cowered under the weight of it. They showed signs of submission and partially shifted to their human states.

Jackson slumped to the ground, completely back to his human self like Isaac. Unfortunately, Boyd and Erica continued to wrestle with their wolves. "I'll go help Boyd, you cover Erica," I instructed Chrys in a clipped tone, stalking over to Boyd.

His body heaved with laborious breaths and he glared at me with his yellow eyes. "Derek, I'm trying to stop it, I really am," he spoke through his teeth.

I clapped both my hands on his shoulders while taking care to keep my distance and captured his gaze with my own. "I know you are, I know. Remember what I told you about the triskelion? What it means?"

"Y-yeah. Alpha, Beta, Omega," he repeated the mantra back to me.

"Good, that's good. Now, I want you to just keep saying that over and over. Focus on the words, focus on getting yourself back to normal. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded deftly, chanting those three words again and again like they were a prayer, and I guess they kind of were. Those were the words that helped me learn control and they were the ones I used to teach every other werewolf seeking my help.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Chrys intensely staring into Erica's eyes only inches from her face. Chrys removed the headcollar as Erica whispered something feverently under her breath, her nails and teeth retracting and dulling, returning to normal. Unable to resist eavesdropping, I used my heightened sense of hearing to spy on them.

"One more time for me," Chrys murmured calmingly, "What three things cannot long be hidden?"

Taking deep breaths between each phrase, Erica answered, "The Sun. The moon. The truth." And with that, she faded back into her human form.

"Maybe you're useful after all," Jackson exhaustedly wheezed at Chrys with a smirk as he got back to his feet.

She gave him a warning growl, flashing her true eyes at him. "Chrys!" I scolded and she whipped her head around to face me, letting my catch a glimpse of her orbs for a second. I gaped at her as she busied herself with undoing the shackles on both Isaac and Erica. After a pause, I undid the chains on Boyd and Jackson.

"Can we get out of here now? I have to shower for at least an hour to get this smell off of me," Jackson whined, sniffing himself with his features scrunched in revulsion.

With no further words, I led my Pack to the exit. Chrys travelled silently at the end of the line and I gathered that she'd taken that position strategically in order to avoid me, but she couldn't do that for long. As soon as we exited the tunnels, my Pack went their separate ways except for Chrys who stayed by me, watching as the teens disappeared into the night.

"So," I curtly began to break the silence after a couple minutes, "three things cannot long be hidden, huh? That's an old trick."

"It worked for me. Worked for her too, didn't it?" she pointed out in what should've been a triumphant gloating way, but she seemed defeated.

Turning to face her, I straightened my leather jacket and crossed my arms as I regarded her with narrowed eyes and a grave expression. "Speaking of the truth, do you want to tell me why your eyes are blue?" She brought her lips into her mouth and hung her shaking head as she shivered, obviously trying to avoid the question at hand. "What did you do, Chrys? Who did you kill?"

* * *

 **A/N:** _I'm sorry that it took me so long to update and this chapter kind of sucks, please don't kill me! For some reason I was just having trouble writing this, so I just did what I could, but at least I updated! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE REVIEWING IT BRINGS THE BIGGEST SMILE TO MY FACE! And even for those of you who don't review, thank you for reading and supporting my story! If you want updates/aesthetics/edits/gifs for this story, you can follow me on tumblr wildrecklessyouthinme and, as always, please like/follow/review! It keeps me going :). Love you all!_


	6. Chapter 5: The Sun, The Moon, The Truth

**Chapter Five: The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth**

Chrys's POV

When Derek asked me the very question I'd been dreading my heart dropped to my stomach and ice crawled through my veins, chilling me to my core. I couldn't bring myself to look at him in fear of what emotions I would see swimming behind his glinting emerald eyes. Judgment? Disappointment? Anger? My mouth hung open as I tried to force words out, but they were caught in my throat. I'd never had to tell anyone the story of what changed my wolf's eyes; I always knew the day would come eventually, I just wasn't ready for it today.

"Chrys," he pressed more demandingly, moving his body so that he was in front of me instead at my side. Even though the night was pleasantly warm, my body wouldn't stop quivering as images of that fateful night flashed in my head, a relentless reminder of the terrible thing I'd done. "Tell me what happened or I swear I'll-"

"It happened not long after the fire," I blurted out, interrupting because I was frightened of how his sentence might end. My stare remained on my bare dirty feet since I still refused to muster a glance at Derek. "The first full moon after it, actually. I made my way to New York because I somehow convinced myself that that was the safest place for me, but I was just a stupid kid. I was homeless, starving, and petrified that the Hunters would come after the survivors of the fire."

"Get to the point," he murmured with urgency.

Sighing, I shoved a hand in my back pocket and used the other one to rake through my wavy strands. "That first full moon I didn't know what to do. I'll admit that running away to New York was so fucking stupid, I'm sorry I ever did it. I have no clue what I was thinking. I guess I wasn't..." I paused, feeling my heartbeat rise increasingly as the story went on; I was just hoping Derek didn't hear it. "Anyways, I thought that I would be okay. You taught me how to control the shift and remain human, so I just did what I did every night and slept in the nearest empty alley I could find."

"You were sleeping in an alley?"

"Told you I was homeless, what else was I supposed to do? Anyways, I woke up that night from a nightmare about the fire and it must have triggered the turn because next thing I know I was a wolf. It just completely took me over. The grief I was feeling made me delusional, it made me lose control. I was crazed and hungry, ready to hunt, and then I saw them. A couple was kissing against the wall deeper back in the alley. She had hair like Kate's..." No longer trying to hold back my feelings, I discreetly let tears run down my cheeks.

Derek's arms dropped to his sides and I could smell a heady cocktail of mixed emotions swirling around him. It was impossible for me to gauge exactly what he was thinking. "Chrys, you didn't," he breathed out despairingly.

"But I did." My shaking intensified as I became more rageful towards my former self and my unblinking eyes were wide, glaring down at my jittering hands. "I tore that couple apart like the animalistic monster I am and I remember every single moment of it. I remember how they tried to run from me, but I hobbled them before they could get too far. They tried to scream for help, but I sliced their vocal chords. I can still taste the blood in my mouth, I can still feel my claws ripping through their flesh as I shredded their bodies to oblivion until they were unrecognizable."

Derek took a step back from me as I dug my sharpening nails into my palms, drawing blood that dribbled to the ground and stained the leaves beneath me. My eyes started to glow and I tried to block out the torturous memories that were presently playing in slow motion in my head. They were constantly haunting me.

With a shaky breath, I deftly wiped the tears from my eyes with my sleeve and continued my story in an unnerving monotonous voice. "Worst part is remembering how much I enjoyed it. In the moment, that girl _was_ Kate to me. I saw her face in the girls, and I relished in savagely ripping her apart." Flexing my hands, I retracted my claws and tried to calm myself back down. "I took out my revenge on an innocent and did the very thing that would make me a target to the Hunters if I wasn't already, and I wanted to be. I wanted to die for what I did, sometimes I still do. For awhile, I behaved recklessly, hoping they would catch me and I would meet the same fate as my mother and father-"

"Stop," Derek implored gently. I obeyed and rolled my lips into my mouth, clenching my eyes shut to squeeze out the last of my tears while sniffling. "Jesus Christ, this would have never happened if you hadn't fucking ran away like a coward !"

Tipping my head back, I glanced up to the stars twinkling above and while they were beautiful, they were outshined by the full moon hanging in the sky beside them. "Der, I couldn't stay in Beacon Hills after the fire. There were too many bad things that happened to me here and I kept blaming myself for-"

"Because it was your fault," he interjected again harshly, his words making me cringe.

I gathered my courage and met his terrifying gaze. Everything I was afraid of seeing in his orbs was in fact present and I gulped back my trepidation, unwilling to show any weakness. "That's not fair and you know it, D. I was just a child," I bit back through clenched teeth, putting up a front of confidence and challenging his stance. "Forgiving myself was difficult, but I did it a long time ago because I realized the fire wasn't just about me. The Argent's didn't set our home ablaze just to burn one harmless little girl."

"Except they did! She found out we had you, you know that! Kate found out that we were hiding you even though we took _every_ precaution to make sure the Argent's didn't know you existed," he hissed, looming over me intimidatingly. "You made one error and ruined it all."

"All I did was go to your stupid basketball game! Was I supposed to expect her presence there? If I had known she was in town, I wouldn't have gone! I didn't mean for her to see me," I bursted, upset by his blatant loathing of me. "I honestly don't know why you hate me so much for that."

Huffing, he massaged his temples with one hand and then dragged it down his face to rub his beard. "You really have no idea, do you?" he inquired with a wounded tone, furrowing his bushy brows together as he leered down at me with vulnerability softening his eyes. The dumbfounded expression on my face answered for him. "After that game, she approached me. You weren't the only one that made mistakes, but what happened to me was ultimately because of you. It was all about you," he trailed off, getting a distant look in his eyes.

"Derek, what're you talking about?" I prodded uneasily.

"Kate used me to get closer to you, the one that got away from her on her first Hunt," he explained mirthlessly, a scowl etched on his usually unwavering lips as his feet started backtracking again.

I clutched my chest, my chin trembling as I awaited in anticipation for the answer of the question I was about to ask. "How did she use you? What did she do to you?"

"Exactly what it sounds like she did. She tricked me, made me fall in love with her like the fool I was and...," he trailed off, clearing his throat uncomfortably. This time he was the one averting his gaze.

Grasping the entirety of what she had done to him didn't take long and I didn't want to make him say it, understanding it must be painful for him to think about. "You were so much younger than her though," I muttered with disbelief coating my tone. Not even she could be that evil, could she? Oh who am I kidding, of course she could be.

"I know," he grumbled in response, lifting his head to peer at me. My impulse was to interrogate him further in order to get more details about what happened, but I suppressed those urges knowing well that rehashing those traumatic events wouldn't do either of us any good. "It can all be traced back to you, Chrys. If my family hadn't taken you in, they'd probably still be alive right now…"

Cautiously, I shuffled closer to him and he glowered at me, ferocity flashing in his orbs. "Listen, they were my family too. Maybe not by blood but still, and that means something to me. I thought it meant something to you too. Family is supposed to stick together," I preached in a near whisper, tentatively reaching out to rest a hand on his arm.

He jerked away from my grip, his nostrils flaring as he regarded me with narrowed eyes. "Those words might mean more to me if you hadn't have left in the first place," he spat venomously.

"I know, and I've apologized for that. I'm back here now and I'm trying, Derek! I'm trying to make amends for what I've done, but you're so adamant about hating me that you won't even give me a chance. You won't let your guard down, you won't let me in because you're scared that if you trust me I'll betray you again, but I won't," I declared sincerely with clear conviction. "I promise."

Scoffing, he rolled his eyes and turned away from me, starting to trek through the woods as the howling wind around us grew stronger. Traipsing lightly, I followed after him to catch up. "Your promises are nothing to me unless you follow up on them. Tonight was so close to being a disaster because you failed to hold up your end of our bargain. Instead, you left me alone because you were off doing God knows what with God knows who."

"And I can explain that if you let me."

"Don't care. I have no desire for more excuses. Just get in the car so we can go back to the loft," he instructed gruffly, gesturing to the silver SUV he'd parked in front of the old house. My mouth gaped as I came to a halt and watched him continue on his path towards the vehicle, climbing into the driver's side and starting up the engine. I scampered around to the other side and slid in, yanking the door shut angrily behind me. Derek pulled away from the house in silence, stonily leering out into the darkness as he drove back to the main roads.

I tapped my fingers frantically on my armrest as I bit my tongue to keep quiet. _Maybe he just needs sometime to cool off, perhaps then he'll be more reasonable_ , I tried to tell myself. "Look, I don't care if you don't want to hear it I need to say it, so you are going to hear me out about what happened last night!" I exclaimed, whipping my head around to glance in his direction just in time to see his exasperated eye roll. _So much for that 'wait it out' plan_.

My senses told me he was getting ready to object, so I shot into my explanation before he got the chance. "I spent most of my day in the woods like I said I would, but then after that I went to the bar to blow off some steam and met this girl there-"

"Thanks, I think I can fill in the blanks," he grumbled with a frown, steely orbs still glued to the empty streets we sped through.

"Will you just shut up and listen to me for once!" I commanded shrilly, my eyes widening out of annoyance because of his petulance. Abruptly, Derek slammed on the breaks and we squealed to a stop in the middle of the vacant road. My hands shot out against the ceiling and window to brace my body due to the violent jolt from the halt in motion. I gave him a bewildered look and unsteadily asked, "What the hell was that for?!"

He gripped the wheel so tightly that has knuckles were white and he had brought his lips into his mouth as he shook his head. "Who am I to you?" he wondered, sparing me a glance.

Gulping, I shifted around in my seat so that I could face him more head on as my mind meandered in search of an answer to his vague question. "Uh, you're Derek Hale. I've known you since we were kids, we practically grew up together, and you're the closest thing to family I have left," I replied uncertainly, nervously wrapping a piece of hair around my finger.

"Wrong," he retorted, poison tipping the single hurtful word. "I'm the guy who saved your Omega ass by graciously letting you into my Pack and you repay me by being consistently disrespectful and undermining my authority. I am your Alpha, Chrys! I'm not some little boy anymore, we're no longer equals. When're you gonna get that through your thick skull?"

With a scoff, I lowered my brows and pinned him with a defiant stare through blazing sapphire orbs. "Just because you're an Alpha now doesn't give you the license to be an unbridled asshole to me or the rest of your Pack. I know having me here and getting used to me being a part of your Pack must be a difficult and awkward adjustment, but don't you dare treat me like a moronic bitch that has to be trained to heed your every whim and endure your every mood swing because we both know damn well that that is _not_ me, not by a long shot. It never will be." Pausing my rant to catch a breath, I studied his still infuriatingly stoic features. I was waiting for him to say something, anything, just to give something, but nothing came.

"Are you done?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows. Thumping back defeatedly in my seat was the only answer I gave. "Good, then it's your turn to shut up and listen to me." I immediately perked up at the prospect of him contributing to the conversation and swiveled once more to regard him with more attention. "You had to have known going into this that it wouldn't be easy. I never asked for your help, I didn't want it, that was all Peter. He went around my back to get to you and brought you here without my consent to the idea. The only reason I didn't shut the door in your face is because I know what Laura and my mother would've wanted, and I'm trying to respect what they would've done."

My heart clenched when he mentioned Talia and Laura. Laura was like the sister I never had, my best friend, and Talia was my first Alpha. She was a second mother to me. She took me into her home and her Pack just as Derek was doing for me now. Maybe he was trying to give me a second chance, he was just doing a shitty job of showing it. "Do you think you'll ever forgive me?" I pondered, the question that had been burning in the back of my thoughts since I'd arrived.

"I don't know," he returned hesitantly. "I keep thinking about how that's what Laura would want, but I don't know how I feel about it. I haven't exactly had time to figure it out by myself," he continued honestly in a faded gruff tone. He was obviously drained after the events that transpire tonight which prompted me not to interrogate him any further, at least for now.

"Fair enough," I mumbled halfheartedly, drawing with the tips of my fingers in the condensation fogging up the windows. "Let's just not talk about this anymore and go home; I think we both need some sleep."

* * *

We arrived back to the loft having not said another word to each other the rest of the way home. Logically I knew it was probably better that way, that didn't make suffering in silence any easier though. Usually I wasn't particularly talkative anyways, the normal amount I suppose, but with Derek all I wanted to do was try to make things right as fast as I could which involved us speaking to one and other. However, he needed time, space, and I didn't really have much other choice than to give it to him. Afterall, it wasn't a ridiculous request. From this point on it was just a waiting game.

Derek retreated to his room instantly and I watched as he ascended the spiraling staircase, not even noticing Peter staring smugly at me from a dark corner. "And the little flower once again graces us with her presence," he mockingly remarked, drawing himself out of the shadows to face me. The man planted his body in front of mine, crossing his arms and letting his calculating orbs flicker over my form.

"Do not call me that," I growled through gritted teeth, shouldering past him with an aggressive bump that packed surprising force behind it. People often underestimated my strength because of my size, so I used that to my advantage. Hearing him grunt at the impact made triumph flare up within me for a short victorious moment, but I paid him no more mind. Today had been grueling enough without him badgering me, so I came to the mature decision that I wasn't going to let him suck me in.

Not bothering to glare back at him, I huffed and headed straight up to the bathroom finding myself in desperate need of a long hot shower to wash everything away.

* * *

Derek's POV

I knew it was safe for me to emerge from my room when I heard the shower head sputter to life. That sound meant I had approximately 45 minutes to an hour of time before Chrys came out, that is assuming that she still had that annoying little habit of taking showers that were entirely too long. I remember her being such a bathroom hog. It drove me batshit crazy when we were younger.

Sneaking down the steps, I sought out my uncle on the main floor. Not finding him in his usual chair, I ventured into the kitchen and saw him eating take out. His back was to me, but he knew I was there. He was leaned back in the seat he occupied, his feet propped up on the table which I knocked down when I walked past. "Well that was rude," he pouted, adjusting his position to a more appropriate one.

"No, I think putting your feet on the table is the rude thing," I retorted, sliding into the chair across from him smoothly.

Peter rolled his eyes as he poked around the white cardboard container he was eating from. "I can't remember, is it you or Chrys that likes Indian?" he inquired, inspecting some glazed meat he had speared.

"Did you know that Chrys has killed?" The question escaped me before I had fully registered it. I'm sure he'd make me regret divulging the tidbit of information later if he didn't already know about it because he had a history of doing so, but if he did know then this would be a very different conversation.

"What?" he asked back incredulously, dropping whatever he was about to pop into his mouth. His jaw fell open as he squinted at me skeptically. "I'm sorry, coming back from the dead has left me a bit impaired, so I'm not sure I heard you correctly. You're telling me that Chrys, _Chrysanthemum Qynn_ , killed someone? The same girl that wouldn't even squash a fucking spider and ordered us to have a funeral for some random rabbit I ran over, that Chrys?"

The amount of disbelief in his tone lead me to believe he had no idea what I was talking about, but I was never completely sure if he was being truthful. With Peter it was hard to tell these days. "Yes, that Chrys," I confirmed dryly before adding, "and it wasn't just one, it was two. Two innocent people."

"Shit," he murmured while lacing his hands together and resting his forearms on the table. Confusion swept over my features as I witnessed the telling expression on his face. I don't know what I was expecting from him. Probably some smug joke, an ill-timed comment, something other than what I saw in front of me. A man with dismay shining in his icy orbs that were ordinarily devoid of emotion. "Excuse me," he growled suddenly, shooting up from his seat and storming out of the loft leaving me baffled and alone.

Why the hell would he have such an intense reaction to something like that? As if it affected him in anyway. It's not like he upheld an outstanding moral code of conduct to judge her by or anything.

Shaking off the odd exchange, I sighed as I begrudgingly retrieved a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet before heading back up to the seclusion of my bedroom. Something told me I'd need it to be able to sleep through the night.

* * *

 **A/N:** _THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN REVIEWING, YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY IT MAKES ME :D! I know this chapter took awhile, but it was a hard one to write. Very angsty, very upsetting to me in some ways, but very important nonetheless. You finally get some insight on why Derek resented Chrys though, and you'll just continue to learn more about their shared past and whatnot. I can't tell you all how much I appreciate you reading and supporting this story, it means the world to me. As always, follow/favorite/review pretty please! Love you all 3_


	7. Chapter 6: Old Ways

**Chapter Six: Old Ways**

Derek's POV

 _-13 Years Ago-_

Chrysanthemum had been living with us for a little over a week and, in short, she was strange. She didn't speak much, was incredibly jumpy, and spent the majority of her time alone. At first, mother had encouraged my siblings and I to try and make her feel welcome by including her in our activities, but she didn't seem to hold any interest in being with of us. All she did was read or listen to odd music in her locked bedroom. The only people she really talked to were Laura and mom.

Needless to say, I didn't see much of her which left me curious to see how she was doing after the tragic ordeal she'd been through. I just wanted to help her adjust to life here, but Laura insisted that I didn't force my presence upon her because that might be too much for her right now. She told me just to be patient and wait for her to come to me.

However, seeing as I was the one who found her, I felt a certain responsibility for her which I'm sure my mother realized. She gave me daily updates on her even though I never asked and made sure I knew that Chrysanthemum was okay and getting better everyday.

I was trying desperately to follow Laura's advice because, annoyingly enough, she was always right, though it was taking a considerable amount self-restraint to keep from knocking on Chrysanthemum's door everyday to see she was safe for myself. Instead, I was attempting to keep busy by focusing on normal things like school, homework, and sports. That could only keep me distracted for so long though. As of now, I was using babysitting as my tool of diversion.

Cora, my energetic four year old sister, was sitting across from me at the kitchen table. She doodled nonsensically with crayons while swaying her feet back and forth. I was on my elbows, cradling my face between my hands and staring down at the blank piece of paper she had slid my way.

"Draw," she commanded, rolling a couple markers my way with a pout.

"I already told you, I don't want to," I grumbled in response, my blatantly bored expression no doubt provoking the scrunched up face she was currently giving me.

"Oh come on, Derek," someone from behind me said while clapping his hands around my shoulders briefly. "Why don't you draw a little something for my favorite niece?" Uncle Peter came around to face me with a sly grin on his mouth as he winked at Cora who was now beaming due to his entrance. He plopped down next to her and she giggled, holding out one of her drawings for him to admire which he did readily. "Wow, is that you and me?" he asked sweetly to which she nodded enthusiastically and he showered her with more praise.

I settled back in my chair, crossing my arms as I watched them with narrowed orbs. "When did you get back?" I pondered with a slight tilt of my head.

He shrugged at me, answering dully, "Just now."

"Where were you?" I interrogated further. He had up and disappeared the day after Chrysanthemum had arrived. All mom told us was that he went on a trip and nothing more. The whole thing seemed of suspect to me.

"Geez, is this 20 questions?" he fired back snappily in defense as his glacier blue eyes rolled exaggeratedly. I raised my brows at him expectantly, waiting for an appropriate reply that he had yet to give me. Peter leaned back in his seat with his hands in the air jokingly. "Alright, fine, you caught me. I went to LA for a little vacation, take me away officer," he teased, thrusting out his wrists for me to slap cuffs on.

Before I could retort, my mother breezed in gracefully with a calm look, but she came to a halt upon seeing her brother casually among us again. He smirked cheekily at her and waggled his fingers in a wave. "Peter, you're back," she greeted tightly with a forced smile.

"Hey sis, miss me?"

"That's one word for it," she mumbled shortly while pinning him with a dark glare as she gripped the chair at the head of the table with both hands. "Would you come with me, please? I have to have a word with you. In private," she specified, traces of a growl in her tone.

Peter's cockiness faded away as he followed after Talia in a slump. I perked up from my slouching position and strained to hear their receding footsteps to pinpoint where they were going. It sounded like they were headed towards the library.

"Why is uncle Peter in tr-trouble?" Cora stuttered while crawling across the table to catch sight of their retreating forms though they were already out of sight.

Shooing her away, I hissed lowly, "Maybe if you'd shut up and stop distracting me I could hear why!"

Cora fell back in her seat and folded her arms with a gasp. "You're not supposed to do that! I'm telling."

"Laura just got home, go bother her," I implored, pushing up from my seat and exiting the kitchen so I could stealthily pad down the corridor that led to the library among other rooms. Slipping into a nearby empty bedroom, I flattened myself against the wall and focused my hearing so I could decipher what was going on across the hall.

Mom's sharp voice registered in my ears first, whispering demandingly, "I'll ask one more time, where in the hell were you?"

"I already told you, I just went to LA for some down time, that's all. Do you want me to take a lie detector test?" he spat back.

Talia scoffed at the notion. "No need, I can hear your heartbeat," she murmured in an unsettling tone that had me gulping despite the fact that it wasn't even me she was talking to.

"Then you should already know that I'm telling the truth," his calm voice said a bit too smoothly. Peter had that way about him.

"I don't know that, and do you know why I don't know that?" she pondered flatly, no doubt giving him an intimidating Alpha stare that he would pretend to be unfazed by. When he said nothing, she continued in a more hushed tone. "Because I know you, _brother_. I know that you're an excellent liar when it suits you."

Peter snorted at her accusatory statement before commenting, "So now you're calling me a liar?"

"I would be happy to recant if you simply told me where you really were and what you were doing there," she countered saccharinely.

"Look, I don't need to stand here and be treated like a damn criminal for no reason! Do you have any proof that gives you reason to believe I was off doing something nefarious?" he pondered with mounting frustration. His nonchalant facade was cracking under the pressure being applied.

"The fact that you're acting suspicious about the whole thing, more so than normal," she pointed out plainly.

Upon detecting footsteps, I snapped out of my trance and peeked through the cracked door of the room I was stowed away in to see if someone was coming. Poking my head out a bit, I observed the hall but saw no one up until the double doors to the library suddenly burst open and Peter came storming out. My orbs widened in shock and I jumped back into the abandoned room, hoping that he hadn't noticed me through his rage. I listened as he stomped past dramatically while huffing. Only when I heard the front entrance open and slam close again did I release the breath I'd been holding and leave the bedroom. However, I was met with something unexpected on the other side of the door.

Leaning against the wall opposite me was Talia with a slight smirk tweaking at her ruby lips. "Uh, hey mom," I muttered, trying to seem as relaxed as possible. I'm sure she saw right through me. She always did.

"Come with me," she beckoned with a jerk of her chin. I hesitantly shuffled after her into the library, shutting the doors behind me in anticipation of her request to do so.

Slowly, I turned to face her for a moment before letting my eyes wander. To my left and right were multiple overflowing shelves lined with books, a vast variety of them; natural light provided by a large window on the back wall bathed the space in a warm golden glow. Mother was seated at the grand oak desk placed in front of that very same window with that very same smirk that left me uncertain of what she intended. I shifted awkwardly on my feet causing the hardwood flooring beneath me to creak as I waited for her to open a commentary.

"Take a seat," she suggested tenderly while indicating the chair on the other side of the desk. Hastily, I made my way over and settled into the seat apprehensively. "Now, Derek," she began with effortless tranquility, clearing her throat before continuing with, "do you spy on conversations that are of no concern to you often?"

I wriggled uncomfortably, averting my eyes from her probing glare. "I-I, uh, well I…" I flusteredly sputtered followed by a sigh of admission because I knew I couldn't stall or lie forever. Besides, she definitely already knew so what was the use in hiding it anymore? "Only the ones with Peter and you," I confessed quietly, rubbing my clammy hands against my pants. Gathering my courage, I brought my face back up to meet her serene gaze. "But it's only been twice, I promise!"

She shook her head at me while sweeping some midnight locks over her ear. "I know you're excited about being an early bloomer with your abilities, but that doesn't mean you can go about using them for whatever you wish whenever you want," my mom berated me in an understanding manner, yet there was still a firmness in her voice.

"I know," I mumbled, disappointed in myself for betraying the rules.

"Why do it then? Why did you eavesdrop on us?" she prodded as she rested her elbows on the desk and put her chin on her clasped hands.

Furrowing my brows, I fumbled to come up with an answer to that which was more difficult than I had previously predicted. Why exactly did I do it?

"When was the other time you did it?" Talia prompted, attempting to gain insight behind my actions.

This time I replied immediately. "The day Chrysanthemum got here. You two were talking by the steps."

Her smile grew marginally as her brows raised while pondering, "Really? So what did you hear?"

"I heard you two talking about how Chrysanthemum was a Qynn from the same Qynn family the Alpha of the Bront Pack had been searching for for almost a decade and Peter didn't agree with keeping her here with us because of it. You told him you already swore to keep her safe and you were going to hide her from him, from Richard, along with the Hunters," I finished solemnly.

Mother nodded deftly, wrapping her tan cardigan tighter around herself. "You want to know what I think? I think you've been spying because you're worried about Chrysanthemum," she hypothesized with a small laugh. My features scrunched up in confusion as her words gave me pause; upon seeing this, she went further in depth. "You listened in in the first place to see if we were talking about her. After overhearing what Peter said, you were concerned that he might sabotage her security here by exposing her, so when he came back you wanted to know what he'd actually been up to. Does that sound about right to you?"

It was only after she had said it that I realized it was true. Yes, I didn't trust Peter with keeping Chrysanthemum a secret, and I still felt responsible for her since I was the one that discovered her the night she came to us searching for sanctuary. Even if she didn't wish to see me at the moment, her protection still mattered to me. She was a part of my Pack now.

"Yeah, you're right." _Big surprise_ , I thought to myself. "Why isn't she safe though? What does the Bront Pack want with her?"

Talia's expression became more serious as she stood and started browsing the bookshelves. I swiveled so that I could watch her. "Well, there's a reason I forbade talk of that Pack from this household," she murmured while plucking out a leather bound book from obscurity. "But, this time, I'll make an exception." She dusted off the faded crimson cover and returned to her previous position, placing it down carefully between us.

"Richard Bront is a legacy, he comes from a very long line of Alpha's and is one of the most powerful out there. Unfortunately, with old bloodlines can come old traditions. His Pack is one of the few out there that still practices the Old Ways."

"The what?"

Holding a finger to her mouth, she silently shushed me and then went on. "I was getting to that. You haven't learned about the Old Ways because they can be rather savage and I saw no reason to educate you on them, especially so young. However, you're older now, and this information will help you better understand why Chrysanthemum's existence here must be kept quiet," she told me as she nudged the book my way. "Remember, I don't want her or any of your siblings knowing of this. Keep it to yourself." I gave my noiseless agreement to her condition then stared at the book warily, considering what it's pages harbored before sliding it closer to me.

"Chrysanthemum's doing well, by the way," my mother piped up again, her cordial tone returning. It's the same thing she said everyday, but, much to my dismay, she never elaborated. "In fact, she wants to see you today."

Those words she added at the end definitely caught my attention, causing me to snap my head up excitedly. "What?" I asked, unsure if I heard her correctly. Was she really ready to see me?

Grinning at me knowingly, Talia barked a laugh and mocked, "I'm not repeating myself, I think we've proven that your ears work just fine." I beamed back at her, allowing myself a chortle. "Well don't just sit there, go on!"

I took her urge to heart and bolted up from my seat and out of the room, clutching the book to my chest as I rounded corners quickly and rushed upstairs. Once I got to the second floor landing, I forced a more leisurely gait. I could hear an unfamiliar song playing before I even got to her door, but I knew where it was coming from. I stopped at the entrance of her room to knock softly and waited politely for an answering call. When there wasn't one, I frowned and twisted the knob so I could enter cautiously.

Chrysanthemum, who was dressed in some of Laura's clothes, had her back to me as she danced somewhat clumsily while critically studying her reflection in the mirror with her brows knitted together. She was humming along sweetly with the melody of the tune, still completely unaware of my presence. To make myself known, I cleared my throat loudly which only served to startle her. Yelping, she whirled on me with wide eyes; her hand darted out to push random buttons until the music stopped.

"Sorry, I, uh, didn't meant to scare you," I lamely apologized as her red rimmed turquoise orbs scanned me, her body still tense. "Do you want me to come back later? I can-"

"No!" she interjected, but not in the same small, scared voice she'd had when I first met her. This one was more assertive. "You can stay, it's fine."

I ventured a bit closer to her, halting by the edge of her unmade bed. "My mom said you wanted to see me. Why?" I pondered.

Chrysanthemum sat gingerly on her cushioned window seat and drew her bruised, bony knees against her chest while patting the spot across from her. Following the direction, I went over and crawled into the cramped space. I situated myself, fidgeting to get comfortable, and a giggle escaped her as she witnessed my struggle. A few seconds of awkward silence occurred, ticking by agonizingly slow before she finally spoke up.

"Talia thought it would be a good idea for me to start socializing with other members of the Pack besides her and Laura, broaden my horizons I think is how she phrased it. She also didn't want to overwhelm me though, so she suggested I spend some time with you to start," Chrysanthemum explained, straightening her back against the wall and twirling some mousy brown hair her finger.

Cocking my head, I consciously thumbed at the pages of the closed book I still held. "You kind of talk like an adult, not a kid," I observed skeptically with bemusement.

She pouted at me, rebutting with, "I'll have you know that I'm almost ten years old! And, up until I came here, I was only ever around my parents for the most part. I don't know how people my age are supposed to act."

"I thought it was just because you read a lot," I muttered with a shrug, tapping against the cover of the book to emphasize my point.

"But I haven't read that one yet...What's about?" she inquired, reaching out to grasp it.

I snatched the object away, pressing it to my chest protectively as if guarding its secrets. "Nothing, just something my mother wanted me to read," I told her, the words mingling together in a rush. She twisted her mouth to the side, her fist now clasping the tarnished ring dangling from her neck as she glared at me. Obviously she wasn't convinced that the book wasn't anything she shouldn't be bothered about. "So, you like to dance?" I asked, trying to engender some conversation and steer away from the topic of the book.

"Yeah, but my mom was a lot better at it than me. She was teaching me how before…" Chrysanthemum trailed off and her head hung as her grip tightened around the engraved circlet at her throat.

My mind searched for ways to comfort her, but it was never something I had excelled in. How did one go about trying to make a situation like hers seem anything less than devastatingly tragic? Sure, I'd lost my father, but that was completely different story. She had both of her parents violently ripped away from her in one night by Hunters, the only family she had ever known according to my understanding. I guess Talia was trying to change that.

Taking her trembling hands in my own, I tried to catch her gaze. "Hey, we won't let anything happen to you. You'll be okay here. "

Looking up at me, she sniffled and glimpsed at me with tears shining on the surface of her orbs. "Are you sure about that? I've ran my whole life and I don't even know why. My parents always said they'd tell me everything when I was older, but they didn't make it that far. There could still be some other threat to me out there besides the Hunters and I have no clue what it is and that's terrifying," she whispered, tears leaking out onto her splotchy cheeks.

"You don't have to run anymore. You're with us now and people don't mess with the Hale Pack. We'll protect you from anything," I reassured her, squeezing her hands in mine.

Chrysanthemum pierced my glance with her own, searching my sympathetic face. "Promise?" she meekly sought clarification.

"I promise."

* * *

- _Present Da_ y-

Muffled sounds of soothing lyrical music wafting into my room woke me from my fitful night of rest. The first thing I saw when my green eyes fluttered open was a taunting empty bottle of whiskey resting on its side on my bedside table. I scowled at the bottle as sunlight glinted off of the glass into my unsuspecting eyes.

Werewolves getting drunk was basically nonexistent, but that didn't mean we don't like to try every once in awhile by downing an entire bottle of something strong. It's not that it never affected us in any way at all, it was just rare.

With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and yanked on a t-shirt that was probably dirty and some jeans that were definitely dirty before emerging groggily from my room. When I came out the music became clearer and I went to go investigate it with a puzzled look etched upon my face. It was coming from downstairs, the empty space off the living room I used to workout and train my Pack sometimes. However, what I found there today was totally different than what I was used to seeing.

Chrys had donned a skin tight white leotard with matching tights and her tresses were slicked back into a pristine bun. I leaned against a nearby wall, crossing my arms and watching her. She made elegant twirls and leaps with her eyes shut and a blissful expression. Her lithe body moved beautifully in perfect rhythm with the music emitting from the stereo on the floor beside my feet. While it was entertaining, I decided it would be a good time to give her a surprise, so I bent and yanked the plug from the wall causing the song to cease abruptly.

Spinning, Chrys took in a sharp intake of breath and stared at me with astonishment in her orbs. "Did you just pull the plug on me?" she asked in disbelief. I answered simply with an unamused look. "What a nice preview of our golden years," she grumbled teasingly while reaching behind her head to unpin her hair and let it fall back around her shoulders messily.

"I doubt we'll make it that far," I flippantly remarked as she shook out her locks and wiped sweat from her forehead.

"God, you're dark before you've had coffee. I made some, by the way," she informed me as she breezed past, heading towards the stairs. I turned to watch her and called over her shoulder, "Oh, and there's someone named Stiles here to see you? At least that's what I think he said his name was, I really can't be sure." She disappeared into the upper level before I could say anything and left me dumbfounded.

Stiles? What the fuck was that spazz doing here? And why would Chrys let in a perfect stranger?

Huffing, I rolled my eyes and strode to the kitchen upon hearing something shatter. Stiles was crouched on the ground cursing to himself as he carefully gathered together shards of a broken mug when I got there. I coughed lightly to alert him of my presence and he was so alarmed that he dropped all of the pieces he had in his hand back to the floor.

Blush rose to his sharp cheeks as he guiltily peered up at me with his amber orbs. "Derek! Hey, it's good to see-"

"What're you doing here?" I cut in, not wishing to waste my time with false pleasantries. Keeping the amount of time I spent with Stiles to a minimum was best for my sanity. For some reason this boy just really knew how to get on my nerves.

"Right, I almost forgot it's always straight to business with you. I definitely miss that," he muttered sarcastically. He drew up to a stand, leaving the mess he made in his wake and brushing off his khakis.

Frowning, I reached for a mug on the counter and then the coffee pot. "How exactly am I supposed to act when people show up to my house unannounced?" I asked dryly as I poured some steaming liquid into my cup.

"Trust me, I want to be here even less than you want me to be here," he stated while ruffling his unkempt brunette hair. "I'm only here because Scott sent me. By the way, the only way I could get past your new guard dog was by name-dropping him, so maybe you should just give her a list of friends and foes to expedite the process next time. Who the hell is she anyways? I mean, I think Scott mentioned her, but-"

My deep sigh interrupted him and the annoyance was clearly displayed on his face. "You wanna tell me why you're here or talk about my new house guest?"

He pulled a face, resting his hands on his hips and contemplating what to say for a minute. "Well, actually, I'd like to know more about the new-"

"Talk now or go," I interjected once more, something that was increasingly irritating to him. Nevertheless, he complied.

"I'm here because Scott needed me to tell you something…" he paused nervously, wringing his skinny fingers together. I gestured for him to get on with it, yet he was still tentative. Eventually he blurted, "We need to know everything you know about witches."

The moment he said witches I snorted and took a long gulp of hot coffee before responding dispassionately, "I'm sorry, witches? They're not real, that's what I know. Well, at least they're not anymore. They went extinct centuries ago."

Stiles chuckled shortly in a mirthless manner and made an odd gesticulation at me as he often did while informing me glibly, "Really? They went extinct? Well, that's pretty interesting considering that Deaton just told us there was one in Beacon Hills."

The amused grin that had been on my lips dissipated instantly. "What did you just say?" I inquired through gritted teeth while clenching my mug so strongly I could feel it almost fracture beneath my fingers.

"There's a witch in Beacon Hills."

* * *

 **A/N:** _I am really so very sorry that it took me so long to update! Holidays have been making everything pretty crazy, so I apologize if updates take a bit longer during this period. Thank you to those who have stuck with the story and continued supporting me! It really means the world to me, I love you all so much for reading and reviewing. Things are about to pick up in the story again you guys, and I'm so excited for it and I hope you are too! I can't wait for you to see what I have planned...Love you! As always pretty please follow/favorite/review! It keeps me motivated. Also, you can follow my tumblr wildrecklessyouthinme for edits, aesthetics, and updates about this story and more._


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